100 days to Brexit: EU acts to cushion no-deal shock

With British politics gridlocked and just 100 days until Brexit, the European Union on Wednesday triggered contingency plans designed to cushion some of the shock of a "no-deal" UK exit from the bloc.

The EU measures, announced a day after Britain ramped up its own no-deal planning, are intended to alleviate "major disruption" to people and businesses in sectors including financial services, customs, air transport and climate policy.

European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis told reporters that the plan was "an exercise in limiting damage." He said the aim was "to turn an abrupt exit into a more soft landing."
But Dombrovskis stressed that the measures "cannot replicate the benefits of the withdrawal agreement, and certainly it cannot replicate the benefits of EU membership."
Organizations including the British Chambers of Commerce and the Confederation of British Industry urged lawmakers to "return to their constituencies over Christmas and talk to their local business communities."
Home Secretary Sajid Javid said the proposals Britain's biggest immigration changes in more than 40 years would create a "skills-based immigration system built around the talent and expertise people can bring, rather than where they come from."