(Title Image: Source: Cambridge University)
Having started in 2017, the Road to Brexit series comes to an end with the end of the Brexit process itself.
No doubt I’ll be coming back to some of these issues the future – and it’ll certainly impact the Senedd election – but that can wait.
Post-Brexit Trade Deal agreed between the UK and EU
With days left until the end of the Brexit transition period, the UK and EU agreed to a longer-term deal on December 24th 2020. The deal was voted into UK law by the UK Parliament on 30th December 2020 by 521 votes to 73.
The Senedd held a symbolic vote following a recall from Christmas recess. A motion noting the agreement – but making no statement either way in favour or against – was approved by 28 votes to 24.
As for a summary of the agreement itself:
Trade & Trade Barriers
- Tariffs won’t be applied to the trade of goods (i.e. physical products) provided they meet rules of origin requirements (i.e. a certain proportion of a product needs to be made in either the UK or EU).
- Tariffs will be applied to trade of services (i.e. financial services).
- Customs declarations and checks will be required for goods moving between Great Britain and the EU (including Northern Ireland).
- There’s agreement on the conformity of standards – largely a result of EU law already being retained in UK law – as well as a sharing of data around non-food product safety.
- Neither the UK nor EU can use state subsidies to distort the market or prevent a level playing field.
Farming, Fisheries, Energy & Environment
- Tariffs and quotas won’t be applied to agricultural/food exports or imports.
- There’s a joint agreement on the management of fish stocks in UK territorial waters. EU fishing boats can continue to fish in UK waters, but the UK will be responsible for a greater proportion of caught fish.
- The UK will need to continue to operate an open energy market.
Connectivity, Border Controls & Immigration
- The UK can pay to continue to take part in certain EU programmes, particularly Horizon (research and development), though the UK will withdraw from some programmes like Erasmus (student exchange).
- There’s a reciprocal agreement for continued transport links by air, sea, road and rail, with transport companies having to work on a “level playing field” with the EU.
- Freedom of movement between the UK and EU ends, but citizens of both will be allowed 90 days visa-free travel every 180 days (meaning no visa will be required for short holidays) within the Schengen Agreement area.
- EU member states are dealing with residency separately, with most introducing photo ID cards for UK permanent residents.
- The European Health Insurance Card scheme (entitling holders to medical care on the same terms and conditions as a citizen of the EU or EEA) will no longer be open to UK citizens except for emergencies, chronic illness and maternity services. The UK Government says it will replace this with a new scheme which is yet to be announced.
Security Co-operation
- The deal includes a means of exchanging criminal record data and passenger name record data.
- There’s a reciprocal agreement on biometric data and asset freezing.
- There’s a streamlined process for extradition similar to the EU’s agreements with Norway and Iceland.
Dispute Resolution
- A Joint Partnership Council will be established to ensure the agreement is properly applied and to deal with disputes, co-chaired by UK and EU representatives.
- Either party will be able to retaliate (via sanctions or alike) if the agreement is violated.
- The agreement will be reviewed every five years, potentially leading to parts of the agreement being renegotiated or rescinded in 2026.
In a related development, the UK Government reduced the salary threshold required for prospective immigrants to the UK from £30,000 to £25,600 – though skilled migrants with enough points will be able to move to the UK with a salary of £20,480. The new system came into force in December 2020 as part of post-Brexit immigration reforms.
In other Brexit-related developments, the UK Parliament approved the Trade Bill – which will set out how post-Brexit trade agreements will be implemented – as well as the controversial Internal Market Bill.
The Scottish and Welsh parliaments withheld consent from the Internal Market Bill over concerns that its clauses could result in devolved laws and decisions being overruled by the UK for the sake of “the UK internal market”.
