With finances tight and growth sluggish, closer alignment would bring mutual benefit.

A new, post-Brexit trade row is looming for key U.K. industries but do ministers want to trigger fresh negotiations with Brussels? / Business groups representing U.K. energy and steel sectors are looking nervously at a potential financial cliff-edge, when additional export costs are introduced through the EU’s carbon border tax.

This Communication explains the measures that the Commission adopted today, 19 December 2018, in response to that call, together with other crucial steps in the implementation of its Contingency Action Plan.