1Introduction
1.On 23 June 2016, the people of the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union. The result was a narrow, but clear, decision.1 Consequently, the UK will be leaving the EU. The precise and detailed nature of our future relationship with the EU-27 remains to be determined by negotiation.
2.On taking up office as Prime Minister following the referendum, the Rt Hon Theresa May MP set up the Department for Exiting the European Union to oversee negotiations to leave the EU and establish the future relationship between the UK and EU. On 31 October 2016, the House of Commons set up the Committee on Exiting the European Union with the remit to examine the policy, expenditure, and administration of the new Department.
3.Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) provides the legal base and sets out the process which must be followed for a Member State to leave the EU. The question of whether the Government requires the consent of Parliament, and more specifically, the legislative authority provided by Parliament, to begin the process of exiting the EU under Article 50 of the TEU, is a matter that is currently being determined by the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. This report does not seek to assess what role Parliament should have in triggering Article 50.
4.The process of exiting the European Union will be a hugely complex task. The UK originally joined the Common Market 43 years ago and the country’s membership of the EU touches on almost every area of national life and affects the work of every Government Department. It is our role to scrutinise the Government as it seeks to ensure that the UK makes the most of the opportunities and mitigates the risks of leaving the EU. We agreed terms of reference for our first inquiry to examine
- What should be the UK’s objectives in negotiating its future economic and political relationship with the EU, looking at both risks and opportunities?
- What will have to be included in the negotiations to leave the EU under Article 50 and to what extent will this include provisions relating to the UK’s future relationship with the EU?
- Is there a case for the UK seeking to negotiate transitional arrangements in the event that it is unable satisfactorily to reach agreement on its future political and economic relationship before it has left the EU under Article 50?
- Does the Government have the capacity and the appropriate structures to meet its objectives?
5.This report examines the process that is set out by Article 50 TEU and makes recommendations about how the Government should approach its task. Before Article 50 is triggered we will continue to examine the different components of the relationship between the UK and the EU and seek to influence the Government in identifying its negotiating objectives. Once Article 50 is triggered, it will be our role to hold the Government to account for the progress of negotiations. We will continue to seek to inform the public and the House about the process and we will seek to engage with other Member States and EU institutions to understand their perspectives on the negotiations.
6.A number of other Select Committees in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords have undertaken a great deal of work both in the run-up to and since the referendum. We do not intend to duplicate their work but instead will draw upon it to help us to build a picture of the negotiations that covers the full remit of the Department for Exiting the EU and its relationship with other Government Departments. We are grateful to our colleagues working on other Committees for their assistance in informing both Parliament and the public.
7.One of our first priorities has been to launch a programme of visits around the country. We have already been to Sunderland and Aberdeen, and in the coming weeks we will be visiting Wolverhampton, Stoke-on-Trent, Shoreditch in London, Boston, Cornwall, Swansea and Derry~Londonderry.
1 Whilst the majority of voters in England and Wales voted to leave, the majority in Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to remain. The result of the referendum was 51.9 per cent voted to leave and 48.1 per cent voted to remain. The breakdown of the vote for each of the four nations of the UK was as follows: England (53.4 per cent leave; 46.6 per cent remain), Scotland (38 per cent leave; 62 per cent remain), Wales (52.5 per cent leave, 47.5 per cent remain), Northern Ireland (44.2 per cent leave, 55.8 per cent remain). The Electoral Commission
13 January 2017