On 16 November, the Government of Flanders approved a Brexit Action Plan. . With this plan, the Government wants to improve Flanders’ resilience against the detrimental effects of Brexit. The Government has ringfenced two million euros for the implementation of the plan.
Whatever the eventual outcome of Brexit is, it is clear that the consequences for Flanders will be severe. A no-deal Brexit will put 28.000 Flemish jobs in jeopardy. The action plan must assist the Flemish companies in their preparation for Brexit, regardless of the outcome of the negotiations between EU and UK.
The plan is based on four pillars:
- A proactive diplomatic role: continue to advocate for the best possible deal for Flanders. This means keeping barriers as low as possible, not only on the economic side but also in other areas.
- A Brexit compensation mechanism MFF post 2020: Consistently argue for compensating measures to be included in the new multiannual budget of the EU.
- Providing holistic support for Flemish companies via Brexit Helpdesk of Flanders Investment & Trade. This Brexit Helpdesk provides tailor-made advice and directs companies to relevant Flemish and federal government departments, partners, government legislation, subsidies and other financing mechanisms.
- Attract investments: Brexit also offers the opportunity to attract companies to Flanders. Accordingly, the government has decided to position Flanders as a hub in Anglo-European trade. FIT will develop an investment strategy to this effect.
For the implementation of the Brexit Action Plan, the government extends the reinforcement of the Department of Foreign Affairs and raises the Flanders Investment & Trade budget by 1,9 million euros.
The Brexit Action Plan (only in Dutch) - one page version in English