On the port of Calais, January 4.

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Michel Spingler / AP / SIPA

The “manifest lack of preparation” of Brexit by the British poses “real risks” for the management of cross-Channel traffic in the coming weeks, warns the prefect of the North in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Jean Castex on Friday.

"The technical changeover of the United Kingdom to third country status is technically successful on the French side," said the prefect of the North Defense and Security Zone, Michel Lalande, in this letter dated January 14, which draws a statement scene of the consequences of Brexit two weeks after its entry into force.

This situation entails "real risks in the event of a resumption of activity", he notes, while heavy goods traffic between the United Kingdom and France begins to gain strength after the beginning of January. very calm.

"The low level of traffic, the relative absence of goods transported for import, but also the initial flexibility of the State services in formal controls mask the difficulties which are nevertheless very real", the storage car parks at the port of Calais and at the exit of the Channel Tunnel having already found themselves saturated several times, worries Michel Lalande.

Progress in recent days

He points out that many heavy goods vehicles remain blocked there for "excessive delays", sometimes exceeding sixty hours.

Among the problems raised is the fact that "the health certificates completed by the British authorities are incomplete and unsatisfactory, leading many heavy goods vehicles to disembark in France while the absence of this formality cannot be regulated".

Another problem weakening the “smart border” system, which must allow document control during the crossing, is that agents of transport companies often scan the wrong documents.

Recalling "the constant dialogue between the French and British services" in the face of these difficulties, Michel Lalande indicates that the situation has improved since the beginning of the week, in particular due to a tightening of controls on the French side.

In his letter, the prefect also points to the concern that continues to reign in the French fishing sector, the terms of application of the cooperation agreement taking time to become clear.

He said he feared that the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer might lose "its status as the leading French fishing port in the long term, given the foreseeable reduction in the landings" of seafood. A meeting on the same topic was held. Friday in Boulogne between representatives of the State and fishermen.

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