Brexit & the EU Archives

Youth mobility schemes

Monday, 27 January, 2025

The UK has schemes to allow young people from specific countries to come to the UK to live and work for a limited period of time. In April 2024, the European Commission made a proposal to the European Council to open negotiations with the UK on agreeing a youth mobility scheme between the UK and the EU. The Labour government has stated that it has no plans for a scheme with the EU. Several organisations have expressed support for it, but others have expressed concern that it would be a return to a form of freedom of movement.

UK-EU relationship and the war in Ukraine: Lords committee report

Thursday, 14 November, 2024

The House of Lords European Affairs Committee welcomed the EU and UK response to the war in Ukraine “in general terms”. In its January 2024 report, the committee said some areas of UK-EU cooperation had been broadly effective. The committee said the report’s aim was to consider a longer-term approach and make recommendations to strengthen the UK-EU response. It called for more formal arrangements in several security and foreign policy areas.

UK-EU relationship and the war in Ukraine: Lords committee report

Northern Ireland retail movement scheme and ‘rest of the world’ goods

Monday, 14 October, 2024

The government has recently changed the entry requirements for certain non-EU goods being imported into Great Britain to enable them to move onwards under the Northern Ireland retail movement scheme. The House of Lords is due to consider a motion to annul the regulations that made these changes. This comes in the context of wider debates about the impact of the Windsor Framework on Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland retail movement scheme and ‘rest of the world’ goods

In Focus

UK and Europe: Cultural, diplomatic and security relations

Tuesday, 01 October, 2024

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.
In Focus

Border controls for UK and EU imports and exports

Friday, 26 April, 2024

In August 2023, the UK government published its ‘border target operating model’ (BTOM), which set out how the UK would gradually introduce full border controls on imports into Great Britain from the EU. The BTOM is being introduced gradually during 2024. The second phase is scheduled to commence on 30 April 2024 and is set to include the introduction of full sanitary and phytosanitary checks on certain goods imported from the EU. This briefing looks at the controls being introduced on 30 April 2024, as well as concerns raised by industries about how the changes could impact EU imports.
In Focus

Educational trips and exchanges: Budget challenges, post-Brexit travel, and the introduction of the Turing scheme

Thursday, 11 April, 2024

Educational trips and exchanges can help young people develop language and life skills. However, school leaders, travel organisations, and the House of Lords European Affairs Committee have raised concerns that fewer trips are taking place, pointing to factors including travel complexities post-Brexit and budget considerations. The government has acknowledged the importance of trips and exchanges, highlighting the Turing scheme and the recent agreement to simplify travel requirements for school visits with France.
Current Affairs Digest

Current Affairs Digest: Constitution (April 2024)

Thursday, 04 April, 2024

This briefing considers the impact of a recent judgment by the Northern Ireland High Court to disapply provisions of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 on the basis they are incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights and the Windsor Framework Brexit agreement.
In Focus

Strengthening the UK union

Thursday, 07 March, 2024

The union between England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland is governed both by legislation and the statutory frameworks of devolution settlements, and non-legislative measures that cover joint decision making and dispute resolution. Events such as the UK’s exit from the European Union have the potential to put the union under strain. This briefing explores suggested reforms which proponents argue would strengthen the UK union.
In Focus

Windsor Framework: Command paper and regulations

Wednesday, 31 January, 2024

On 31 January 2024, the government published a command paper on ‘Safeguarding the union’ and accompanying draft secondary legislation, seeking to address concerns about Northern Ireland’s place in the union and arrangements for the movement of goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Following negotiations with the DUP, this is intended as a step towards restoring the Northern Ireland executive.
In Focus

Environmental land management: Recent changes to the sustainable farming incentive and countryside stewardship schemes

Thursday, 18 January, 2024

The government is part way through the implementation of the environmental land management scheme in England. This replaces the system of financial support established during the UK’s membership of the EU common agricultural policy. This briefing considers how this scheme has been implemented, including recently announced changes. It also considers how support for biodiversity and the control of certain invasive species is provided through the environmental land management scheme.
In Focus

The future UK-EU relationship: Report by the House of Lords European Affairs Committee

Friday, 08 September, 2023

Since the Windsor Framework was agreed in February 2023, the UK and the EU agree their relationship has been on a positive trajectory. In light of this, a recent House of Lords committee report made recommendations about further opportunities for UK-EU cooperation on foreign policy, defence and security, energy security, climate change and mobility of people.
In Focus

Northern Ireland Protocol and Windsor Framework: Reports by the House of Lords Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland Sub-Committee

Monday, 04 September, 2023

A House of Lords committee found in July 2022 that the Northern Ireland Protocol was affecting Northern Ireland businesses differently depending on whether they traded mostly with Great Britain or with Ireland and the EU. A year later, the same committee found the Windsor Framework, which amended the protocol in February 2023, was an improvement on the protocol as originally negotiated, but has not solved all the problems associated with it.
In Focus

Windsor Framework (Democratic Scrutiny) Regulations 2023 and the Stormont brake

Friday, 24 March, 2023

On 29 March 2023, the House of Lords is due to debate regulations that would implement the Stormont brake in domestic law. These regulations were approved by the House of Commons on 22 March 2023. The Stormont brake is a key part of the Windsor Framework agreed between the UK and the EU. This briefing explains the background to the brake and how it would work, and includes reaction from political parties.
In Focus

UK-EU relationship in financial services

Friday, 17 March, 2023

In 2022, the House of Lords European Affairs Committee examined the relationship between the UK and EU in financial services. In its report, the committee said the UK’s financial services sector remained strong and that some challenges presented by Brexit had proven to be less significant than predicted. However, it warned the government against complacency, saying that ministers must ensure their future approach delivered for the sector and the wider UK economy.
Research Briefing

Northern Ireland (Executive Formation and Organ and Tissue Donation) Bill: HL Bill 105 of 2022–23

Friday, 24 February, 2023

The Northern Ireland (Executive Formation and Organ and Tissue Donation) Bill would extend the deadline for forming a Northern Ireland executive to 18 January 2024. It would also allow the secretary of state to set an Assembly election date earlier than this if no executive had been formed. It would also allow regulations to be made about the rule for organ donation in Northern Ireland in the absence of a functioning Assembly.

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