"All we know is that Brexit is going to happen"

Last week, Nieuwsblad Transport held a Brexit session. There were several speakers, mainly from the logistics sector, present at the event. They were there to give the public more insight into Brexit. This session aimed to raise awareness of Brexit and to give companies the tools and insight to prepare themselves for this. It was the second such event. The first session took place in December 2017. Due to great interest, the second one was organised. It was held in Lantarenvenster in the Dutch city of Rotterdam. 

There were five speakers, each with their own take on Brexit. René Buck of Buck Consultants International did a scenario analysis for a "soft" as well as "hard" Brexit. Elmer de Bruin of Transport en Logostiek Nederlands (TNL) emphasised the importance of the logistics sector being well-prepared as things are certainly going to change. TNL is a Dutch business organisation for road transport companies and logistics service providers. Madeline Buijs from ABN-AMRO presented the possible economic implications of Brexit for the Netherlands, the EU and the United Kingdom. The presentation on how the sector can digitally prepare itself was done by Martin Maecock, who is British. The closing speaker was Roel van 't Veld from Dutch customs. He stressed that there would be a lot of paperwork involved in trading with England.

At the end of the session, the public had the opportunity to ask the panel questions. One of the most pressing questions was whether there would be a transition phase. This caused a difference of opinion among panel members. René Buck believes this will be the case, but Roel van 't Veld is not yet sure. Erwin van Aken decided it is of the utmost importance that companies be well-prepared since everything is still up in the air. The session brought home the message that businesses need to do the necessary research. Good preparation is essential. "Brexit is going to happen; of that much we are sure", concluded Erwin.