Brexit & the EU

Three draft statutory instruments due to be debated in the House of Lords on 22 October 2020 would give effect to commitments in the EU Withdrawal Agreement, the EEA EFTA Separation Agreement and the Swiss Citizens’ Rights Agreement. These statutory instruments cover a “grace period” for applications to the EU settlement scheme permits for frontier workers; and the deportation of EEA citizens.

The United Kingdom Internal Market Bill seeks to ensure unfettered access to the UK internal market for “qualifying Northern Ireland goods”. On 7 October 2020, the Government published the draft Definition of Qualifying Northern Ireland Goods (EU Exit) Regulations 2020. They contain the definition of “qualifying Northern Ireland goods” that will apply to the bill. This article explains the background to the regulations, and why the Government also intends to introduce further legislation in this area.

The United Kingdom Internal Market Bill is a government bill that would make provision for the continuation of the UK’s single market when the transition period ends on 31 December 2020. As part of this it would provide for the ‘market access principles’ of mutual recognition and non-discrimination to apply to the sale of goods and the provision of services within the UK. It also seeks to provide unfettered access for qualifying Northern Ireland goods to the market in Great Britain. It contains provisions that seek to give ministers the power to unilaterally interpret, modify the application of or disapply parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol, notwithstanding their obligations under relevant international and domestic law.

Catch up on Brexit articles you may have missed from August and September 2020. This month we look at cooperation between France, Germany and the UK on defence issues, and the potential impact of a no deal Brexit.

This article summarises the provisions of new regulations which will affect the carriage of dangerous goods and the use of transportable pressure equipment at the end of the Brexit transition period. The House of Lords is due to debate the regulations on 29 September 2020.

The next round of UK-EU negotiations is due to start on 28 September 2020. The House of Lords is due to hold a take-note debate on the UK’s approach to negotiating the future relationship with the EU on 23 September 2020. This article gives an overview of the UK’s approach to its future relationship with the EU and the progress of negotiations so far.

In May 2019, the House of Lords EU Committee published a report into the future of UK-EU surface transport links. Continuing disagreement between UK and EU negotiators over aspects of the future relationship in transport matters has helped put the brakes on progress in the current negotiations, with talks on the future of road haulage rights in particular reportedly at a standstill.

After the Brexit transition period, the UK will no longer participate in the Dublin system, an EU arrangement for dealing with asylum applications. This article looks at the findings of a House of Lords committee report that considered the impact of Brexit on refugee and asylum policy, and sets out what has happened since the report was published in October 2019.

This government bill would introduce measures to support the UK in implementing an independent trade policy, having left the European Union.

Scientific research in universities is funded through a mix of public money, EU funding and other sources. This article considers the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee report on the pressures on science research funding in universities, including proposals in the Augar Review to lower the existing cap on tuition fees and the potential impact of Brexit. The committee’s report is due to debated in the House of Lords on 9 September 2020.

This article summarises the conclusions of three House of Lords committee reports on the powers of Parliament to scrutinise treaties. In the context of Brexit, there have been calls for Parliament’s powers of scrutiny of treaties and trade agreements to be strengthened. The committee reports are due to be debated in the House of Lords on 7 September 2020.

Amongst its provisions, the Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill would give effect to the Government’s policy of ending freedom of movement once the transition phase ends at the end of December 2020. It would also confirm the continued right of Irish citizens to come to and work in the UK after the ending of freedom of movement and it would provide a power to amend, via regulations, retained EU law governing social security coordination.