A report highlighting the work Dundee City Council has undertaken in order to deal with the consequences of the new EU and UK arrangements will be considered by Councillors on Monday.
The council has worked with national, regional and local partners to monitor the situation and prepare the city for the recent ending of the Brexit transition period.
The report outlines key areas of work, which include supporting EU citizens applying to the settled status scheme and helping businesses understand new trade and customs arrangements.
Other areas of focus have included the financial consequences for the city, local projects which have received EU funding, new procurement arrangements and other regulatory impacts.
Councillor Will Dawson, Dundee City Council’s cross-party Europe Group spokesperson, said: “The Brexit transition period has now passed and the effects will be felt by individuals, organisations and businesses throughout the city.
“The council has worked very hard with partners, locally and nationally to understand and best prepare for the introduction of the new arrangements.
“This has included a wide variety of work, which is detailed in the report, on how best to protect citizens’ rights within the city, maintain funding streams and help businesses to adapt. It is too early to see the consequences of the new arrangements as they only took effect from 1 January so officers will continue to monitor these, support citizens and report back’
“Although we have now left the European Union, there is still time for EU residents to apply to the settled status scheme and I would urge anyone who hasn’t to get in touch with the available support to carry out their application. Citizens Advice Bureaux continue to provide invaluable support and assistance.”
EU citizens who are having any difficulty in applying to the scheme can call the Citizens Advice Bureau’s free helpline on 0800 916 9847 between Monday and Friday, from 9am to 5pm.
Alternatively, assistance is available by contacting the Dundee CAB branch on 01382 214633 or by emailing bureau@dundeecab.casonline.org.uk.
In addition to addressing challenges resulting from the changes, the report identifies that during the transition year (2020) the Council has been looking to identify any opportunities, including maximising the funding for Dundee from the UK’s Shared Prosperity Fund.
Dundee City Council
Dundee draws skilled workers from a 60-minute catchment population of 640,000 and has a local population of over 140,000. The availability of a large pool of highly skilled labour is a key feature in the Dundee economy. Flexibility in the labour force is currently more prevalent in Dundee than in Scotland as a whole. All forms of labour market flexibility - part-time, temporary employment, self-employment and shift work - are widely operational within the city. Labour force stability in the city is excellent, enabling companies to plan with confidence. Labour turnover levels are less than 5% and absenteeism averages 2%.
