Enseignement

Brexit : Europe is a stage



AlthoIugh William Shakespeare is refered to as 'the father of English culture', his favourite theatre, and places of his most memorable works, was Europe: From Scotland with Macbeth, to Denmark with Hamlet, going through Verona, the iconic city of Romeo and Juliet, all of Shakespeare's literary work takes root in the cradle of Europe. More than 400 years later, and at the time of Brexit, all eyes are on Europe, the scene of intense negotiations between Great Britain and the countries of the European Union.

In order to better understand the challenges, the faculty had the pleasure of inviting, on Wednesday 6th March, Mr. Koen Dillen, an official of the European Commission's working at the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, who came to meet the students of BLOC 2 and BLOC 3 as part of a conference organised for the Advanced English course.

Holding a Doctorate in Economic Agriculture from the University of Leuven, Mr. Dillen has coordinated the UK withdrawal process within DG Agri for the past two years. As a direct actor working at the very heart of the European Union, Mr. Dillen has enabled us, thanks to an internal view, to understand all the major economic, social and political issues involved in the break-up.

His presentation focused on the current economic relations between the EU and Great Britain, the different possible scenarios and post-brexit relations. In this context, the aim was to identify the repercussions of Brexit on the agricultural sector and the agri-food sector, which, according to specialists, will be among the first to be affected: increase in tariffs on meat and dairy products, increase in prices, lack of seasonal workers, abolition of CAP subsidies (Common Agricultural Policy). The students were then given the opportunity to ask their questions and understand the consequences for the agricultural world here and across the Channel.

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