• People travelling to the EU will be able to take advantage of duty free shopping meaning they won’t have to pay UK excise duties on cigarettes and alcohol

• People travelling back from the EU will still be able to bring back unlimited amounts for their own use, if they pay duty in Europe

• Policy will apply in the event the UK leaves the EU without a deal

Passengers travelling to EU countries will be able to buy beer, spirits, wine and tobacco without duty being applied in the UK, thanks to the lifting of EU rules.

The decision on duty-free shopping in UK ports, airports and international train stations will mean:

• UK excise duty will no longer be due on alcohol and cigarettes bought when leaving the UK. A bottle of wine purchased in Heathrow duty free on the way to the EU could be up to £2.23 cheaper

• At the point of leaving the EU, people can continue to purchase and bring home unlimited alcohol and cigarettes in Europe if they pay duty on it there – as is the case currently

• People will now also have the alternative option to buy limited amounts of duty-free alcohol and cigarettes at duty free shops in Europe instead. For example, a holidaymaker could save more than £12 on two crates of beer. The travel industry has been calling on the government to re-introduce duty-free, which stopped when the EU Single Market was introduced.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Sajid Javid said:

As we prepare to leave the EU, I’m pleased to be able to back British travellers.

We want people to enjoy their hard-earned holidays and this decision will help holidaymakers’ cash go that little bit further.

Duty-free shopping is already permitted for travellers going to non-EU countries.

A consultation will also be launched shortly on our long term duty-free policy.

Published 10 September 2019

2019 has been so far a year of major political and economic swings. Nevertheless, Romania remains a viable investment destination for British investors.

Following a key court ruling in May, the Romanian government pledged to focus on improving the rule of law situation and confidence of the electorate in the government. However, the recent change in Justice Minister appears to undermine this. Ahead of the election cycle, it is important that Romania continues to focus on political stability and make progress on commitments made which support this goal.

In this first year of the electoral cycle, Romania has reaffirmed its commitment to Euro Atlantic values. This is a reassurance for British investors, and I hope this newfound political strength will translate into predictability and market-orientated legislation.

It is our strong hope that the negative effects of the legislation at the beginning of the year will be countered or eliminated completely in the near future. (NOTE: EO 114 is under debate in Parliament with numerous amendments to tone down or cancel its effects).

While one of the appealing points of Romania is its high-quality human capital, large parts of Romania are still struggling with underdevelopment. Public investment and stronger local institutions would allow investors to move away from the major urban centres and look to other parts of the country, thus helping to alleviate the socio-economic situation that has such high impact on the safety and quality of life of Romania’s citizens;

While the tech sector remains one of the sectors of core interest for British investors (as proof by the expanding LSEG tech hub in Bucharest), I am pleased to see that Romania provides profitable investment opportunities in other areas as well; Example: Liberty house has taken over the steel operations in Galati, as part of a multinational deal with ArcelorMittal (seven major steelworks and five service centres across seven European countries).

Despite a difficult start the Bucharest Stock Exchange has had a very nice run this year. This good run confirms the excellent potential of the capital market here. Increased liquidity and new financial instruments would encourage more investors. We wish to see stronger cooperation between the stock exchange here and London stock exchange, with dual listings and other projects as well.

Healthy capital markets need strong and transparent corporate governance rules. It is crucial for all companies, no matter of their shareholder structure (private or state-owned) to uphold these rules at the highest standard in order to attract large credible investors.

Although some macroeconomic indicators may be worsening, the overall economy preservers a healthy balance. Demand is well stimulated whilst the supply (industrial production and value-adding activities) needs to catch up. Increased public investment (in sectors that generated value – infrastructure, education etc) and structural reforms are the simple solutions needed.

Commenting on the latest labour market figures for Scotland, published on the 10th September 2019, Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said:

It is disappointing to see a sharp increase in unemployment after a period of encouraging figures.

It shows we cannot be complacent. One of our key priorities is to work with the Scottish Government to boost the Scottish economy and create jobs.

The UK Government is investing £1.4 billion in city and growth deals and we are preparing to take advantage of the opportunities that will arise when we leave the EU on October 31.

But I would urge the Scottish Government to use their powers to best effect.

Making Scotland the highest taxed part of the UK and creating uncertainty by threatening a second independence referendum are holding Scotland back.

Overview

For the three months to July, Scotland’s overall labour market is weakening: employment fell substantially (-33,000) and unemployment increased robustly (+19,000) and activity decreased (+15,000). In addition, monthly claimant count numbers are worsening over the month of August, as there are 112,100 people in Scotland claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance and out-of-work Universal Credit (seasonally adjusted); this is up 2,300 on the month of July (revised) and 20,000 up on the year before.

As a result, Scotland’s unemployment rate at 4.0% is now back to the rate we had 12 month ago and up on the recent record low at the start of the year. Also, Scotland’s unemployment rate is now above that of the UK as a whole at 3.8%, which remained unchanged over the last quarter. Furthermore, the number of people employed at 2,669,000 in Scotland is somewhat down on the recent record high at 2,702,000. This means that Scotland’s employment rate, at 74.9%, remains below the UK’s rate at 76.1%.

British High Commissioner to Cameroon, Rowan James Laxton called on the 15 scholars to be real ambassadors of Cameroon to the UK and ensure they make the best out of this lifetime opportunity.

Talking about UK education, the British diplomat said:

UK education opens doors, wherever you go in the world and it has been the preferred choice for some of the most important minds in history.

Education is not just to read and write, but to make use of the knowledge gained to improve self and community.

About the importance of Education to a community, Rowan Laxton quoted Malala Yousafzai who once said:

With guns you can kill terrorists, with education you can kill terrorism.

Chevening scholars will live and study in the UK for one year, during which they will develop professionally and academically, network extensively, experience UK culture and build lasting positive relationships with the UK.

Chevening scholarships are the UK government’s global scholarships programme funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and partner organisations. The programme enables outstanding emerging leaders from all over the world to pursue one-year master’s degrees in any subject at any UK university.

Applications for the 2020 to 2021 academic year are open till 5 November 2019. Applications must be sent via the Chevening website.

Minister for Europe Christopher Pincher will visit ‘the Rock’ to join in the celebrations, reminding the people of Gibraltar that they are, and will remain, a vital and valued part of the UK family.

During a speech in Casemates Square, the Minister will reflect on the significance of this year in over 300 years of shared history, as together we prepare to leave the European Union.

The Minister will use the opportunity to reflect on the United Kingdom’s unwavering commitment to Gibraltar.

He will say:

The British Government will remain steadfast in our support of the people of Gibraltar – and your prosperity, your security, and your interests – as we leave the EU.

We will never enter into arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar would pass under the sovereignty of another state against their wishes. Nor will we enter into a process of sovereignty negotiations with which Gibraltar is not content.

Minister Pincher will be meeting with Chief Minister of Gibraltar Fabian Picardo for the first time.

Further information

Published 10 September 2019