As the brinksmanship looks set to continue over how and when Britain will leave the European Union, EU states are preparing for a hard Brexit. RFI's David Coffey speaks to the President of Enterprise Ireland in France, Sinéad Lonergan and President of NetworkIrlande, Richard Dujardin about the work being done on both sides of the Celtic Sea to prepare for the challenges that lie ahead.

Advertising Read more

Although April 12th has been proposed as the new date for Britain to leave the bloc, problems over trade between the island of Ireland and continental Europe have yet to be resolved.

This is especially true of the so-called UK land bridge used by haulage companies to transport goods to and from the continent.

Tailbacks at ports, congestion on the motorway and the possible introduction of excise duties, are just some of the potential problems on the horizon.

As a result, maritime traffic between Ireland and the continent looks set to increase exponentially. With France soon to be Ireland's nearest neighbour within the European Union, are French ports and services ready to pick up the slack?

Franco-Irish Trade & Brexit in 2019

Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning Subscribe