A new trade facilitation programme will support Brazilian businesses to export, which will help boost trade with countries including the UK.

The £20 million programme will work with existing export promotion and trade facilitation programmes across Brazil to help bring businesses of all sizes to international markets.

By working with a wide range of Brazilian businesses the programme will showcase exporting as another source of income, increasing access to capital, generating jobs in the country and ultimately reducing poverty.

Brazil is the largest economy in South America, accounting for almost 50% of the continents GDP and is home to over 200 million people. As the UK prepares to leave the EU on 31 October, fast-growing markets like Brazil will provide significant opportunities for both UK businesses and households.

Total trade between UK-Brazil was worth £6 billion last year, an increase of over 7% on the previous year.

The programme was launched by Trade Policy Minister Conor Burns and Brazilian Special Secretary for International Trade and International Economic Affairs Marcos Troyjo in Brasilia today (Tuesday 20 August).

Mr Burns is visiting Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia before travelling onto Santiago in Chile on Wednesday.

Trade Policy Minister, Conor Burns said:

I’m delighted to be in South America this week in my first overseas visit as Minister of State for Trade Policy. Our aim is simply to promote British business overseas and strengthen our trading ties in the region. With our existing trading and economic relationship Brazil was the obvious place to start the visit.

The launch of the Trade Facilitation programme will help support Brazil and create opportunities for Brazilian business – including in markets such as the UK.

The trade facilitation programme launched today is part of the UK government’s Prosperity Fund which will see up to £80 million invested in Brazil over the next 4 years. The fund aims to support the inclusive economic growth needed to reduce poverty in partner countries.

The trade facilitation programme will help ensure Brazilian businesses are ready to trade and will address key issues such as non-tariff barriers. It will also help reduce the cost of trade by encouraging more efficient processes in ports, creating a safe environment for companies to innovate while reducing the time it takes for patents and trademarks to be analysed in Brazil.

During his visit Mr Burns will meet with Brazil’s Special Secretary for International Trade and International Economic Affairs Marcos Troyjo and Chilean President Sebastian Pinera.

He will also meet businesses in the region including Weir Minerals, Diageo and BUPA to help increase trade and encourage investment.

Officers from the Environment Agency and Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) have been working hard to remove invasive Himalayan Balsam along the Roman River near Colchester.

Himalayan Balsam is an invasive non-native species, which mainly grows along river banks and in damp woodland. The plant poses a big risk to the environment as it outcompetes native plant species for nutrients, light and space, often becoming dominant. It can also enter the river channel and block flow and in-river structures, which increases the risk of flooding.

A team of staff volunteered to give up their time to do the work and made a significant difference.

A spokesperson from the Environment Agency said:

It was a very successful 2 days. We removed the Balsam that had re-grown at a site which was cleared 2 years ago. We also cleared patches in or directly adjacent to the river, limiting the chance of seeds entering the watercourse and spreading the plant.

It became apparent that Himalayan Balsam is more prevalent in the area than first thought, however by targeting specific sites posing most risk, we can help limit its spread.

As we hand-pulled the plant, taking the roots with it, and left it in piles, it shouldn’t re-grow; however we will be making checks in the next few months.

If members of the public come across the plant they should only attempt to remove it if it hasn’t set seed – touching it once it has set seed will cause the seeds to disperse up to 7 metres away.

The best method of removal is to pull it up and place it in a pile away from any watercourse, preferably with a plastic sheet underneath to ensure the roots are not able to re-grow.

Members of the public can report sightings of the plant on i-Record.

Seeds can be spread on clothing, equipment and animals. By following the Check, Clean, Dry procedure the spreading of invasive species can be prevented.

Further information on Himalayan Balsam and other invasive non-native species can be found on the Non-native Species Secretariat website.

The case was brought to Northampton Magistrates’ Court by the Environment Agency on 5 August 2019. Kevin Benson of Lime Tree Avenue, Retford, pleaded guilty and was ordered to pay a total penalty of £621. An annual fishing licence would have cost him just £30.

Fines up to £2,500

The penalty includes a fine of £442 for fishing without a licence, contrary to the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act (1975), costs of £135 and a victim surcharge of £44.

Following the verdict, Mick Alcott, Fisheries Enforcement Officer for the Environment Agency, said:

This case shows how seriously the courts take these offences and we hope the high penalty will act as a deterrent to any angler who is thinking of fishing without a licence.

Fishing illegally can incur a fine of up to £2,500 and offenders can also have their fishing equipment seized and be banned from fishing. We inspect rod licences throughout the East Midlands and work 24/7, seven days a week to check on cases of illegal fishing.

We have the same powers and responsibilities as a police constable to uphold the legislation and can arrest and detain offenders, enter land, stop and search, seize boats, vessels, vehicles and equipment, and ask people to show their fishing licences.

Money raised from fishing licence sales is used to protect and improve fish stocks and fisheries, benefitting anglers. We will always prosecute those caught cheating the system.

Buy fishing licences online

Anglers who wish to buy their licence online should buy it directly from GOV.UK as they will receive a reference number allowing them to go fishing on the same day. Customers who use third-party sites may be charged more and might not get added to the official database as quickly.

Any angler aged 13 or over, fishing on a river, canal or still water needs a licence. A 1-day licence costs from just £6 and an annual licence costs from just £30 (concessions available). Junior licences are free for 13- to 16-year-olds. Licences are available from GOV.UK or by calling the Environment Agency on 0344 800 5386 between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday. Alternatively, licences can be bought at a local Post Office.

Report illegal fishing

The Environment Agency carries out enforcement work all year round and is supported by partners including the police and the Angling Trust. Fisheries enforcement work is intelligence-led, targeting known hot-spots and where illegal fishing is reported.

UK officials will stop attending most EU meetings from 1 September so that they can focus on our future relationship with the EU and other partners around the world.

The Government has decided this week that from 1 September, UK officials and Ministers will now only attend EU meetings where the UK has a significant national interest in the outcome of discussions, such as on security.

This decision reflects the fact that the UK’s exit from the EU on 31 October is now very close and many of the discussions in EU meetings will be about the future of the Union after the UK has left.

As the PM has promised in the House of Commons in July, as a departing Member State it makes sense to ‘unshackle’ officials from these EU meetings to enable them to better focus their talents on our immediate national priorities. This includes, as the top priority, work on preparations for Brexit on 31 October and on our future relationship with the EU, but also on pioneering new trade deals and promoting a truly Global Britain.

This decision is not intended in any way to frustrate the functioning of the EU. The UK’s vote will be delegated in a way that does not obstruct the ongoing business of the remaining 27 EU members.

Where matters of ongoing national interest are being discussed, the UK will continue to be present until 31 October.

Further details:

• As a Member State the UK is allowed to send a representative to a variety of EU meetings. These representatives can be Government Ministers or officials.
• The UK has decided that we do not need representation at all of these meetings, especially where the subject is the future of the EU after we have left.
• The UK will continue to attend if and when it is in our interests, with particular regard to meetings on UK exit, sovereignty, international relations, security, or finance and the Prime Minister will attend European Council.
• Decisions will be made on a case by case basis depending on the agendas of the meetings. This provides the right amount of flexibility to ensure UK interests remain protected.

Secretary of State Steve Barclay said:

“An incredible amount of time and effort goes into EU meetings with attendance just the tip of the iceberg. Our diligent, world-class officials also spend many hours preparing for them whether in reading the necessary papers or working on briefings.

“From now on we will only go to the meetings that really matter, reducing attendance by over half and saving hundreds of hours. This will free up time for Ministers and their officials to get on with preparing for our departure on October 31 and seizing the opportunities that lie ahead.”