The Trade (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) Bill was announced as part of the King’s Speech in November 2023. It is a bill to enable the implementation of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. It will amend aspects of domestic legislation on technical trade barriers, government procurement and intellectual property to ensure the UK is compliant when the agreement comes into force.
Trade (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) Bill [HL] (373 KB , PDF)
On 16 July 2023, the UK government signed an accession protocol to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The CPTPP is a free trade agreement between 11 countries from the Asia-Pacific region and the Americas. On accession, the UK would become its 12th member: the first new member since the agreement was finalised in 2018 and the trading bloc’s first European member.
The government has stated that primary legislation is required for the UK to be compliant with the CPTPP when it enters into force. The purpose of the Trade (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) Bill [HL] is to implement the required legislation. The bill will make changes to domestic law in three areas:
Trade (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) Bill [HL] (373 KB , PDF)
The Labour government has called for an “improved and ambitious relationship” with Europe, including a new UK-EU security pact and stronger bilateral partnerships with partners including France, Germany and Joint Expeditionary Force allies. This briefing outlines some of the actions proposed and undertaken by the UK government to improve ties since the July 2024 general election.
While international attention has largely been focused on the Middle East and Ukraine, the civil war in Sudan continues. The UN has characterised the conflict as the “world’s largest hunger crisis”. As peace negotiations stall, concerns are rising not only for the people of Sudan but also about the conflict spreading to neighbouring states.
In November 2023, the Harrington review of foreign direct investment made recommendations about how the UK could attract more cross-border investment. The new Labour government has said tackling barriers to investment is a priority.
