The United Kingdom left the European Union (EU) on 31 January 2020. A transitional period now applies until 31 December 2020. During this period, the UK must comply with all EU rules and laws. For businesses and the public, virtually nothing will change. After the transition period, there will be changes, whether or not an agreement is reached on the new relationship between the UK and the EU. On 23 January 2020, the UK Parliament approved the draft European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020. Following the signing of the Agreement, the Government of the United Kingdom issued and deposited the instrument of ratification of Great Britain on 29 January 2020. [7] [8] The agreement was signed by the Council of the European Union on 30 On 29 January 2020, the European Parliament ratified on 29 January 2020. The United Kingdom`s exit from the Union entered into force on 11 .m. GMT on 31 January 2020, the date on which the Withdrawal Agreement entered into force in accordance with Article 185. The agreement also provides for a transitional period that will last until 31 December 2020 and may be extended by mutual agreement. During the transition period, EU legislation remains applicable to the UK (including participation in the European Economic Area, the internal market and the customs union) and the UK will continue to contribute to the EU budget, but the UK will not be represented in EU decision-making bodies.
The transition period will give businesses time to adjust to the new situation and the UK and EU governments to negotiate a new EU-UK trade deal. [17] [18] On October 22, 2019, the House of Commons agreed, by 329 votes to 299, to grant the revised withdrawal agreement (negotiated by Boris Johnson earlier this month) at second reading, but when the accelerated timetable it proposed did not receive the necessary parliamentary support, Johnson announced that the legislation would be rescinded. [38] [12] It is essential that the transitional period can be extended by mutual agreement between the EU and the UK. Please note that, in accordance with the agreement, the duration of the transitional period can only be extended once until 31 December 2022 and that the UK and the EU can be extended until 1 January 2022. July 2020, a decision must be taken as to the advisability of such an extension. In practice, the EU is unlikely to object if the UK asks for an extension, so the ball is in the court of the UK court. The EU and the UK reach a provisional agreement on citizens` rights and the Brexit financial settlement. Since March, the EU and the UK have been pursuing regular rounds of negotiations, despite the difficulties related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The EU conducts its negotiations on the basis of the mutually agreed political declaration. However, significant differences are not yet resolved in some areas. These differences concern, in particular, fair competition, horizontal management of agreements and fisheries.
EU and UK negotiators Michel Barnier and David Frost and their teams have stepped up their negotiations. The clock is ticking, because an agreement must be reached soon to have time to ratify it by the European Parliament.