ISM MUSIC JOURNAL MARCH/APRIL 2021 | THE TRADE AND COOPERATION AGREEMENT
The Trade and Cooperation Agreement ISM Campaigns and Research Assistant Beni Evans explains the worrying implications of the recent Brexit deal for touring musicians, outlines the new rules and summarises current initiatives aiming to improve the situation
On 24 December 2020 the government published the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) outlining the future trading relationship between the UK and European Union (EU). With just five days to scrutinise and ratify the deal, it was rushed through UK Parliament and into law in time for the end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December. While the announcement of a deal was welcome, it has now become clear that frictionless work travel for musicians had been overlooked despite assurances from the Government.
Above: Beni Evans
Read our next feature on how Brexit can affect a musicians’ contract
The new rules Currently, all UK nationals holding a valid passport can travel for up to 90 days in a 180-day period in the Schengen area under the existing visa-waiver regime. However, this does not cover those entering for paid work, such as gigging musicians. Each member state can now choose to treat UK citizens as ‘visa nationals’ when entering that country for paid work, which could require both a visa and a work permit.
Work permits, a mechanism through which each individual member state can grant different permissions for undertaking paid work in their countries, are a complex hurdle that UK musicians will now have to overcome. Although not all countries require work permits, navigating the patchwork of rules for multi-country tours has become much harder. With applications taking up to three months to be Rightly however, this has not gone unnoticed. Pressure processed, touring at short notice in some countries is now virtually impossible. has been building from across the arts sector to find Furthermore, new customs’ rules mean that a solution to the web of bureaucracy which now musical instruments are likely to need expensive stands. The UK’s creative industries rely enormously on a robust relationship with the European Union, and carnets for transportation into Europe. This represents while the Trade and Cooperation Agreement threatens a worrying additional cost to already-tight touring budgets. The cost of a carnet starts at approximately the foundation of this relationship, we must quickly £400, with an issuing fee of £360 and a security find solutions to protect it. deposit, calculated based on the value of the goods being transported (between 30% and 40%). These additional costs bring into question the viability of touring in the EU, particularly for new and emerging artists, whose financial backing may not be robust enough to cover this extra cost. The EU offers UK musicians a wealth of opportunity. Not only is it a crucial gateway to the international arena, but it offers rich cross-cultural collaboration with European artists. Therefore, the ability to tour easily is essential for both UK and EU musicians alike. But the immigration rules for each EU member state now apply, in a complex patchwork of application processes and entry requirements.
Other rule changes will make life more difficult for touring ensembles such as bands or symphony orchestras that require large vehicles due to the amount of equipment they bring with them. Under the new system, reduced cabotages for hauliers over 3.5 tonnes operating in the EU from the UK will now be permitted a maximum of three internal movements.
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