EU-UK deal is good news for Poles - minister

The agreement that Britain and the EU have signed recently to normalise their post-Brexit relations is good news both for Polish citizens and entrepreneurs, Polish EU affairs minister has told PAP.

EU ambassadors unanimously approved the deal at their meeting in Brussels on Monday. The accord will come into effect on January 1, 2021, but it still needs to be approved by the EU Council before Tuesday.

Just days before the deadline, the UK and EU agreed to stick to duty-free trade to avoid trade disruptions.

"Striking a deal between the EU and Great Britain is good news for Polish entrepreneurs and citizens. Since the very beginning, Poland advocated for constructive and persistent actions on the matter by the EU," Konrad Szymański told PAP.

Szymański went on to say that the deal is relevant for industrial and agri-food producers, with special facilitations for the automotive, pharmaceutical and eco-farming industries.

"In the negotiations, we have also taken care of the interests of the transport sector that is of particular importance for Poland. Hauliers will enjoy unlimited access from A to B between the EU and Great Britain as well as unlimited transit rights across their territories," the minister said.

The same will also apply to air transport, he added.

Szymański also said Polish exporters will retain access to the British market, recalling that sales of Polish goods in Britain reached PLN 61 bln (EUR 13.6 bln) in 2019.

The social rights of Polish citizens living in the UK will also be maintained, Szymański went on to say.