From the BBC:
“Brexit: New
EU trade arrangements to begin after Parliament vote”
The post-Brexit
trade deal between the UK and EU takes effect at 23:00 GMT on Thursday, after
it was signed into law. Parliament overwhelmingly backed the agreement in a
high-speed process on Wednesday, following the two sides reaching agreement on
Christmas Eve. It takes the UK out of the EU's single market and customs union,
but ends the possibility of tariffs on goods. PM Boris Johnson thanked MPs and
said: "The destiny of this great country now resides firmly in our
hands." Opponents say the country will still be worse off than it was
while in the EU. Brexit happened on 31 January, but the UK has continued to
follow Brussels' trade rules until now. The deal - reached just before the
deadline to do so - sets out a new business and security relationship,
following the severing of these ties. It comes four-and-a-half years after the
UK voted to leave the EU in a referendum. The EU (Future Relationship) Bill,
bringing the trade deal into UK law, was backed in its first parliamentary
stage in the House of Commons by 521 to 73 votes on Wednesday, after Parliament
was recalled from its Christmas break. The House of Lords later passed it at
third reading - its final stage - without a vote and the Queen - who is
spending the festive period at Windsor Castle rather than Sandringham because
of the coronavirus pandemic - gave the final approval, Royal Assent. In an
interview with the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said
the deal would allow the UK to "go our own way but also have free
trade" with the EU. Most Labour MPs voted in favour after leader Sir Keir
Starmer said a "thin deal was better than no deal". But all other
opposition parties, including the SNP, the Lib Dems, Plaid Cymru and all
Northern Ireland parties that take seats at Westminster, opposed the bill. European Commission President Ursula von der
Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel signed the deal earlier on
Wednesday in Brussels. It will come into force at 23:00 on Thursday, but
although the European Parliament has begun its scrutiny of the 1,246-page
document, it will not get a chance to ratify it formally until early in the new
year. The deal has, however, been given the unanimous backing of ambassadors
from the 27 nations and the member states gave their written approval on
Tuesday.
Brexit: What
are the key points of the deal?
The UK-EU trade
agreement, which contains new rules for living, working and trading together,
will take affect from 23:00 GMT on 31 December. The full complicated agreement
is more than 1,200 pages long, but here are some of the key points.
Trade
What the
deal says There will be no taxes on goods (tariffs) or limits on the amount
that can be traded (quotas) between the UK and the EU from 1 Januar Some new
checks will be introduced at borders, such as safety checks and customs
declarations. There are some new restrictions on certain UK animal food
products. For example, uncooked meats like sausages and burgers can't enter the
EU unless they are frozen to -18C.
What does
that mean? Having a deal in place means that the fear that some goods could
become more expensive has been avoided. However, businesses will still
need to prepare for new procedures at ports, and if new paperwork is
incomplete, it could lead to disruption.
SERVICES AND
QUALIFICATIONS
What the
deal says: Businesses offering services, such as banking, architecture and
accounting, will lose their automatic right of access to EU markets and will
face some restrictions. There will no longer be automatic recognition of
professional qualifications for people such as doctors, chefs and architects.
What does
that mean? Rather than following one set of rules for the whole of the EU,
UK businesses will need to comply with the regulations in each individual
country It will be harder for people with qualifications gained in the UK to
sell their services in the EU. Individuals will need to check each country's
rules to make sure their qualification is still recognised. However, the
UK and EU have pledged to keep talking to try to improve access for the service
sector in the future.
Travel
What the
deal says: UK nationals will need a visa for stays of longer than 90 days
in the EU in a 180-day period. EU pet passports will no longer be valid.
European Health Insurance Cards, (EHIC) cards will remain valid until they
expire. The UK is no longer subject to the ban on additional roaming
charges, although both sides will encourage operators to have "transparent
and reasonable rates" for roaming.
What does
that mean? The UK government says EHIC will be replaced with a new UK
Global Health Insurance Card, but full details have not been released yet. Pets
will still be allowed in the EU, but it will be a more complicated process as
owners will need to obtain an animal health certificate for each trip they
make. UK mobile operators will be able to charge for roaming, so people
should check with their mobile phone company before travelling.
Fishing
What the
deal says: Over the next five-and-a-half years, the UK will gradually gain
a greater share of the fish from its own waters. The UK could choose to
ban EU fishing boats from 2026, but the EU would be allowed to introduce taxes
on British fish in response.
What does
that mean? Fishing was the hardest and last issue to be resolved in the
negotiation, and some UK fishermen are unhappy with the arrangement. The
Scottish Fishermen's Federation, for example, says the deal does not give the
UK enough control of its waters. Starting in 2026, the UK and the EU will hold
regular talks on fishing access. So there could be more heated arguments ahead.
Justice
What the
deal says: There will be no role in the UK for the European Court of
Justice (ECJ), which is the highest court in the EU. Disputes that
cannot be resolved between the UK and the EU will be referred to an independent
tribunal instead.
What does
that mean? Ending the role of the ECJ was a key UK demand as Brexit
supporters said it would allow the UK to "take back control" of its
laws. The ECJ could still have a role in Northern Ireland because it
continues to follow some EU trade rules. If either side moves too far
away from the current rules around product standards, tariffs (charges on
imports) could be imposed on some goods in the future.
Security
What the
deal says: The UK will no longer have automatic access to key security
databases, but should be able to gain access upon request. The UK will
not be a member of the EU's law enforcement agency, Europol, but it will have a
presence at its headquarters. The UK is no longer obliged to comply with
EU standards of data protection, but data will continue to be exchanged in the
same way for at least four months as long as the UK doesn't change its data
protection rules.
What does
that mean? The UK's arrangement with Europol will be similar to the one the
US currently has. Many of the rules about storing and processing data
still need be decided.
Study
What the
deal says: The UK will no longer
participate in the Erasmus exchange programme, an EU scheme that helps students
study in other countries. Students at universities in Northern Ireland
will continue to participate in Erasmus, as part of an arrangement with the
Irish government.
What does
that mean? Students that have already started courses in the EU will continue
to receive support for fees. A new scheme named after the mathematician
Alan Turing will begin in September 2021. The government says it will be
similar to Erasmus but will include countries across the world.
^ At least there
won’t be a Hard Brexit, but there is still a lot of confusion which will most
likely lead to chaos in many areas both in the UK and the EU. ^
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