After successfully completing the work to ensure customs checks can be carried out whilst keeping traffic flowing as smoothly as possible and after several dry runs, the Normandy channel ports – Le Havre for Haropa and Caen-Ouistreham, Cherbourg and Dieppe for Ports of Normandy – have joined forces to help supply chain actors to be as ready as they can be for Brexit when it comes into force on 1 January next, producing a series of handy fact sheets and organising site visits.
The border crossing process will rely on the smart border system, which is designed to keep port traffic moving in spite of the tighter controls due to Brexit. Under this system only goods that have been pre-declared or have a customs transit document can board the ferry, and lorries are channelled as soon as they disembark according to the customs, veterinary and/or phytosanitary status of the goods they are carrying.
The different trial runs have confirmed that the entire process is operational: from pairing at the port of embarkation to inspection of the goods, if required. All the equipment has been tested: information systems, port layouts and flows, on-board information, coordination between all the actors, etc. Every action that needs to be carried out by every agent has been tried and tested.
The success of this system relies on everyone involved planning their crossing ahead of time and synchronising their actions. To reproduce the success they have seen in the trials and in the interests of all concerned, it is therefore essential that all the actors in the supply chain anticipate and plan their crossing process correctly.
That is why Haropa and Ports of Normandy have decided to join forces and create a set of practical fact sheets summarising key information for different situations: “I am a transport operator – what do I have to do?” /”My status is Orange – what do I have to do? /”I export or import veterinary or phytosanitary products” etc. These fact sheets can be downloaded from Haropa and Ports of Normandy websites as well as those of the latter’s delegates.
In addition, transport operators, shippers, importers and customs representatives can contact Ports of Normandy or Haropa for explanations on how things will work at the port they have chosen. Information sessions will be organised, with the participation of the port operator, the ferry company, customs, the DRAAF (regional food, agriculture and forestry directorate). They will take place in small groups either on site or, depending on the health situation, online.
