6EU preparations for a Brexit without a Withdrawal Agreement
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Committee’s assessment |
Politically important |
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Cleared from scrutiny; drawn to the attention of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, the Committee on Exiting the EU, the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, the Transport Committee and the Treasury Committee |
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Document details |
(a) Communication from the Commission—Addressing the impact of a withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union without an agreement: the Union’s coordinated approach; (b) Communication from the Commission—State of Play of Preparations of Contingency Measures for the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union |
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Legal base |
— |
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Department |
Exiting the European Union |
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Document Numbers |
(a) (40512), 8476/19 + ADDs 1–6, COM(19) 195; (b) (40672), 10313/19 + ADDs 1–2, COM(19) 276 |
Summary and Committee’s conclusions
6.1Under the Government’s original plans, the UK had been due to formally terminate its membership of the European Union on 29 March 2019. Following two extensions to the UK’s withdrawal process under Article 50 TEU, ‘exit day’ is now scheduled for 31 October 2019. If the Withdrawal Agreement negotiated between the current Government and the EU is not ratified by the House of Commons and the European Parliament by that date, and no other action is taken to extend the UK’s EU membership, it will leave the European Union without an exit treaty—the so-called “no deal” scenario—at the end of October. That means there would be no post-Brexit transitional period, and the UK would be out of the Single Market and Customs Union as of 1 November.
6.2To prepare for this ‘no deal’ eventuality, both the UK and EU have implemented certain contingency measures. On the EU side, the European Commission has coordinated the overall preparations for different Brexit eventualities. This resulted in a combination of EU-level policy measures, as well as decisions taken at national level in individual Member States. Given the remit of our Committee, which is to scrutinise EU law and policy, we previously issued a number of Reports (in October and December 2018, and again in January 2019) to inform the House and other Select Committees about the preparations made by the Commission and the remaining Member States should the UK leave the Union without a Withdrawal Agreement.
6.3This latest Report, which serves as an update to our previous work, is based on the most recent information provided by the European Commission in Communications published in April and June this year, which the Department for Exiting the EU deposited for scrutiny alongside Explanatory Memoranda setting out the Government’s position. It also draws on the extensive and detailed scrutiny work that we have undertaken with respect to the EU’s individual Brexit contingency proposals over the last two years.66
The EU’s preparations for Brexit
6.4As we described in our previous Reports, the EU’s preparations for the UK’s withdrawal can be broadly categorised into ‘preparedness’ and ‘contingency’ measures. The former aim to modify EU law as necessary to take into account the UK’s withdrawal and would need to be adopted “irrespective of whether the UK’s withdrawal is orderly or otherwise”. They have included for example the relocation of EU bodies, institutions and infrastructure from the UK to the EU-27;67 the proposed division of UK and EU tariff rate quotas for the purposes of their respective World Trade Organization schedules; and the transfer of vehicle type approvals granted by the UK under Single Market legislation to one of the remaining Member States. By contrast, the contingency measures deal specifically with a scenario where the practical consequences of the UK becoming a ‘third country’ are not deferred until at least 2021 by means of the transitional arrangement in the Withdrawal Agreement.
6.5In its latest Brexit updates, the Commission acknowledges the disruptive impact of a disorderly Brexit on both the UK and the EU’s economy, any contingency measures notwithstanding.68 It refers in particular to the negative impact of the UK’s exit from common economic structures and policies, especially for European businesses which rely on the UK in some way: those who use it as an export market especially for agri-food products; EU fishermen operating in British territorial waters; or European regions which rely on visits by UK tourists, currently facilitated by free movement and UK participation in the fully liberalised EU aviation sector. The Commission also stated that the EU, and Member States, would provide financial support to affected businesses and communities in a ‘no deal’ eventuality.69 It also says that in this scenario the resolution of certain separation issues—the rights of UK citizens in the EU and vice versa; the settlement of the UK’s financial obligations to the EU budget; and, of course, an arrangement to prevent the re-emergence of a ‘hard border’ on the island of Ireland in particular—would be a “precondition for discussions [with the UK] on the way forward”.
6.6With respect to the ‘no deal’ scenario, the Commission announced in November 2018 that it was proposing specific EU-wide contingency measures to avoid the very worst of any disruption if the Withdrawal Agreement was not ratified. The initial list of measures announced in November was expanded in subsequent months, with the final proposals published in January 2019. Progress made on them is summarised by the Commission in its latest updates of April and June 2019. We have already reported the most significant of the EU’s ‘no deal’ preparations to the House in sector-specific reports, including on:
- continued, time-limited preferential access to the EU’s internal market for transport services, in particular for British airlines and road haulage operators;
- temporary equivalence for key financial infrastructure based in London, which will allow EU-based financial institutions to continue using UK-based capital markets facilities for derivatives and securities trading for a limited period in a ‘no deal’ scenario;
- continued recognition of pre-Brexit periods of residence and national insurance contributions in the UK when EU nationals—and in some cases British citizens—apply for social security in one of the remaining 27 Member States under free movement rules, as well as visa-free travel to the EU for UK nationals;
- uninterrupted EU financial support for both the cross-border PEACE programme on the island of Ireland, and for on-going student and teacher exchange visits under the Erasmus programme involving a host or home institution in the UK; and
- various regulatory decisions to prepare for Brexit, such as formally approving the UK as a safe country of origin for imports of meat products and live animals as and when it leaves the common animal health and food safety mechanisms of the Single Market.70
6.7The EU’s emergency legislation relating to continued market access for British hauliers and airlines are, as a matter of EU law, limited in duration. The road transport legislation expires on 31 December 2020, and its equivalent for airlines on 30 March 2020. However, those dates were fixed when the UK was expected to cease being a Member State on 29 March 2019 (and therefore some nine months of potential post-exit negotiations would have already taken place by the time the measures were due to expire). In June 2019, following the extension of the Article 50 period until 31 October, the European Commission hinted that the EU could consider whether there should be a “technical adjustment to take into account the new timeline before [the contingency measures] expire”. Any such extensions of these contingency measures would require formal legislative proposals, and the joint approval of the European Parliament and a qualified majority of the remaining Member States in the Council.
6.8The remaining Member States are also establishing a temporary legal framework for continued UK payments into the 2019 EU budget in a ‘no deal’ scenario, in return for which British organisations would remain eligible for almost all types of EU funding they could receive while the UK was a Member State until 31 December 2019. Under the EU proposal, any ‘no deal’ contributions would not be directly linked to preferential trade arrangements or market access, however. Given the potential financial implications of this proposal, on which the Government is yet to take a position, we are corresponding with the Treasury on this matter separately.71
6.9We have provided a fuller overview of the Brexit preparedness and contingency measures adopted by the EU in the Annex to this Report.
6.10Overall, with the exception of the unilateral transitional arrangements described above, the EU has said it will treat the UK as a ‘third country’ from the day it leaves the Union if the Withdrawal Agreement is not ratified (for example with respect to customs and regulatory controls on goods exported from the UK to the EU). The major unknown in this respect is what would happen at the UK-Ireland border, given the lack of infrastructure there. The EU’s preparations would not be equivalent to the market access available as a member of the Single Market or the post-Brexit transitional arrangement set out in the draft Withdrawal Agreement, and the contingency measures could be altered, extended, limited or abolished by the EU unilaterally.
6.11In other areas, no EU-wide contingency measures have been put in place. These include the restrictions on flows of personal data between the UK and the EU in the absence of a formal ‘adequacy decision’ under the General Data Protection Regulation, the need for EU ports to carry out sanitary and phytosanitary controls on imports of agri-food products from the UK that are currently waived through without checks, and the UK’s disconnection from EU justice and home affairs mechanisms like the Schengen Information System and the European Arrest Warrant.
6.12The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Exiting the EU, James Cleverly MP, submitted Explanatory Memoranda on the Commission’s latest Brexit updates on 26 April and 27 June 2019. These summarised the EU’s contingency measures adopted so far, and offer some commentary on the particular issues of contention from the UK’s perspective (such as the reference to Gibraltar as a ‘colony’ in the Regulation giving British citizens visa-free access to the EU for short-term visits).72 The Memoranda also provide information on the UK’s own preparations for a ‘no deal’ Brexit in areas addressed by the European Commission, such as financial stability. Having noted the Commission’s reference to the particular problems a disorderly UK withdrawal could pose for European fishermen who operate in British waters, the Minister adds that “after exit there will be no automatic access for EU vessels to UK waters”, meaning that “any future access would be subject to negotiations”.
6.13We thank the Minister for his helpful Explanatory Memoranda on the European Commission’s Communications setting out the EU’s preparations for the “no deal” Brexit scenario. As the Commission makes no further proposals for additional Brexit preparedness measures, we are content to now clear them from scrutiny. Given the political importance of these documents, we draw their substance to the attention of the House.
6.14In light of their specific interest in the Brexit negotiations, we also draw this chapter to the particular attention of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, the Committee on Exiting the EU, the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, the Transport Committee and the Treasury Committee.
Full details of the documents
(a) Communication from the Commission—Addressing the impact of a withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union without an agreement: the Union’s coordinated approach: (40512), 8476/19 + ADDs 1–6, COM(19) 195; (b) Communication from the Commission—State of Play of Preparations of Contingency Measures for the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: (40672), 10313/19 + ADDs 1–2, COM(19) 276.
Previous Committee Reports
See: Fortieth Report HC 301–xxxix (2017–19), chapter 10 (17 October 2018); Forty-eighth Report HC 301 xlvii (2017–19), chapter 4 (12 December 2018); and Fifty-second Report HC 301–li (2017–19), chapter 4 (23 January 2019).
Annex: Overview of EU Brexit preparedness and contingency measures
6.15The table below shows an overview of the most important Brexit preparedness and contingency measures proposed by the European Commission.73 Some of these were drafted to take effect only if the UK had left the EU without a Withdrawal Agreement in March or April 2019 and have corresponding expiry dates based on those presumptions, and may therefore need to be amended if there is a prospect of a ‘no deal’ British exit from the EU again in October 2019 if the EU wanted to extend their duration.
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Policy area |
Description of Brexit contingency measure |
Applicability |
Status |
Committee Reports |
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Agriculture |
Listing of the UK as a safe country of origin for animals and animal products74 |
Applicable only in a ‘no deal’ scenario75 |
Completed. Published in the Official Journal on 12 April 2019. |
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Application of post-Chernobyl food safety inspections to UK agricultural exports76 |
Applicable only in a ‘no deal’ scenario |
Completed. Published in the Official Journal on 8 March 2019. |
- |
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Energy and climate change |
Suspending the UK from the EU emissions trading system in 2019 |
Applied pre-emptively, and will remain in effect unless the Withdrawal Agreement is ratified77 |
Completed. Published in the Official Journal on 13 February 2018.78 |
- |
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Reporting on the sales fluorinated greenhouse gases |
Applicable only in a ‘no deal’ scenario |
Completed. Published in the Official Journal on 17 December 2018. |
- |
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Adaptation of the EU’s energy efficiency targets |
Applicable only in a ‘no deal’ scenario |
Completed. Published in the Official Journal on 27 March 2019. |
Report of 12 December 2018 |
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Aviation emissions: responsible Member State |
Applicable only in a ‘no deal’ scenario |
Completed. Published in the Official Journal on 12 February 2019. |
- |
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Financial services |
Central clearing of derivatives: temporary equivalence for UK CCPs. |
Applicable only in a ‘no deal’ scenario. Would apply until 30 March 2020 |
Completed. Published in the Official Journal on 20 December 2018. |
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Margin requirements for non-cleared derivatives contracts from the UK to an EU-based counterparty |
Applicable pre-emptively to allow companies to prepare for the eventuality of a ‘no deal’ Brexit. Would apply until 31 October 2020 |
Completed. Published in the Official Journal on 13 March 2019. |
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Clearing requirements for derivatives contracts novated from the UK to an EU counterparty |
Applicable pre-emptively to allow companies to prepare for the eventuality of a ‘no deal’ Brexit79 |
Completed. Published in the Official Journal on 13 March 2019. |
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Depositories for securities: temporary equivalence for UK depositories |
Applicable only in a ‘no deal’ scenario. Would apply until 30 March 2021. |
Completed. Published in the Official Journal on 20 December 2018. |
- |
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Exemptions for the Bank of England from certain requirements under EU financial services legislation80 |
Applicable when EU law ceases to apply to the UK |
Completed. Published in the Official Journal on 22 March 2019. |
- |
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Fisheries |
Emergency support from the Maritime & Fisheries Fund for fishermen denied access to UK waters |
Applicable only in a ‘no deal’ scenario. Would apply until 31 December 202081 |
Completed. Published in the Official Journal on 27 March 2019. |
Reports of 13 February 2019, 6 March 2019 and 13 March 2019 |
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Reciprocal access to UK and EU fishing waters |
Applicable only in a ‘no deal’ scenario.82 Would apply until 31 December 201983 |
Completed. Published in the Official Journal on 27 March 2019. |
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Home affairs and citizens’ rights |
Waiver of visa requirement for UK nationals after Brexit |
Applicable only in a ‘no deal’ scenario |
Completed. Published in the Official Journal on 12 April 2019.84 |
Reports of 12 December 2018, 6 February 2019 and 13 March 2019 |
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Completion of Erasmus+ exchange visits for students and teachers begun before Brexit |
Applicable only in a ‘no deal’ scenario85 |
Completed. Published in the Official Journal on 27 March 2019. |
Reports of 13 March and 19 June 2019 |
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Coordination of social security for EU nationals who lived in the UK prior to Brexit |
Applicable only in a ‘no deal’ scenario86 |
Completed. Published in the Official Journal on 27 March 2019. |
Reports of 6 March 2019 and 3 April 2019 |
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Institutional |
UK contributions to the EU budget in 2019 |
Applicable only in a ‘no deal’ scenario. As drafted, would apply until 31 December 2019 |
Negotiations have been suspended following the extension of the Article 50 period until 31 October 2019. |
Reports of 13 March 2019 and 3 April 2019. The proposal remains under scrutiny and has been recommended for debate |
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Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Paris |
Applied pre-emptively in anticipation of the UK’s original exit date of 30 March 2019. |
Completed. Published in the Official Journal on 16 November 2018. |
Reports of 10 January 2018 and 18 April 2018 |
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Relocation of the European Medicines Agency to Amsterdam |
Completed. Published in the Official Journal on 16 November 2018.87 |
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Relocation of European Research Infrastructure Consortia headquarters88 |
Applied pre-emptively to allow the EU to prepare for the eventuality of a ‘no deal’ Brexit |
- |
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Relocation of Galileo satellite infrastructure from British Overseas Territories89 |
Applied pre-emptively to allow the EU to prepare for the eventuality of a ‘no deal’ Brexit |
Completed. Published in the Official Journal on 26 March 2019. |
Report of 6 March 2019. The proposal remains under scrutiny |
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Ireland |
Continued funding for the PEACE programme in Ireland and Northern Ireland |
Applicable only in a ‘no deal’ scenario. Would apply until 31 December 202090 |
Completed. Published in the Official Journal on 27 March 2019. |
Reports of 30 January 2019 and 27 February 2019 |
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Manufacturing |
Transfer of UK vehicle type-approvals to the EU |
Applicable pre-emptively to allow companies to prepare for Brexit |
Completed. Published in the Official Journal on 10 January 2019. |
Reports of 12 September 2018, 14 November 2018 and 28 November 2018 |
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Statistics91 |
EU balance of payment statistics |
Will apply from ‘exit day’ irrespective of whether the Withdrawal Agreement is ratified |
Completed. Published in the Official Journal on 27 March 2019. |
- |
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Trade and customs |
Export of dual-use items to the UK |
Applicable only in a ‘no deal’ scenario |
Completed. Published in the Official Journal on 27 March 2019. |
Report of 30 January 2019 |
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Time limit for lodging export declarations for goods shipped to the UK |
Applicable only in a ‘no deal’ scenario |
Completed. Published in the Official Journal on 28 February 2019. |
- |
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Division of UK and EU tariff rate quotas at the WTO92 |
Applicable only in a ‘no deal’ scenario |
Completed. Published in the Official Journal on 8 February 2019. |
Reports of 20 June 2018, 5 September 2018 and 14 November 2018 |
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Support measures for EU outermost regions |
Applicable only in a ‘no deal’ scenario |
Completed. Published in the Official Journal on 15 February 2019. |
- |
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EU approval of UK accession to the Government Procurement Agreement |
Applicable only in a ‘no deal’ scenario |
Completed. Published in the Official Journal on 4 March 2019. |
Reports of 13 February 2019 and 20 March 2019 |
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Transport |
Limited air traffic rights for UK airlines flying to the EU |
Applicable only in a ‘no deal’ scenario. Would apply until 30 March 2020 |
Completed. Published in the Official Journal on 27 March 2019. |
Report of 27 February 2019. The proposal remains under scrutiny |
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Limited recognition of UK aviation safety certification |
Applicable only in a ‘no deal’ scenario. Would apply until 31 July 2020 with respect to certain air safety certificates93 |
Completed. Published in the Official Journal on 27 March 2019. |
Report of 6 March 2019. The proposal remains under scrutiny |
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Aviation security: one-stop-shop for transiting passengers |
Applicable only in a ‘no deal’ scenario |
Completed. Published in the Official Journal on 15 March 2019. |
- |
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Temporary continued recognition of UK road haulage licences |
Applicable only in a ‘no deal’ scenario. Would apply until 31 December 2019 |
Completed. Published in the Official Journal on 27 March 2019. |
Reports of 30 January 2019 and 20 March 2019 |
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Continued recognition of UK railway safety certification measures |
Applicable only in a ‘no deal’ scenario. Would apply until 31 July 2020 |
Completed. Published in the Official Journal on 27 March 2019. |
Report of 13 March 2019. The proposal remains under scrutiny |
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Support for a new shipping route between the continent and Ireland |
Applicable only in a ‘no deal’ scenario. Would apply until 31 December 202094 |
Completed. Published in the Official Journal on 27 March 2019. |
Report of 10 October 2018 |
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Ship safety inspections |
Applicable only in a ‘no deal’ scenario |
Completed. Published in the Official Journal on 27 March 2019. |
Report of 10 October 2018 |
66 On the UK side, much of the Government’s preparations for the possibility of ‘no deal’ have focussed on ways of minimising the scale of any new checks on goods imported from the EU, to avoid disruption at the border and to the wider supply chains that feed the UK economy.
67 In particular, Brexit has led to the relocation of the European Banking Authority, the European Medicines Agency and the Galileo back-up security centre away from the UK. In addition, the Operational Headquarters for Operation Atalanta, the EU’s anti-piracy naval mission off the Horn of Africa, has been moved from the UK to France and Spain.
68 The Commission clearly argues that the economic impact of a ‘no deal’ Brexit would be felt most acutely in the UK.
69 A specific policy measure has been implemented to assist EU fishermen in a ‘no deal’ scenario should the UK refuse them access to its waters. In addition, the Commission refers to using structural funds, the Common Agricultural Policy and the Globalisation Adjustment Fund to support those particularly affected by Brexit.
70 This ‘listing’ is routine for other non-EU countries however, and would not exempt UK agricultural exports to the EU from having to undergo sanitary and phytosanitary controls on entry into the European Union via approved Border Inspection Posts Such controls are currently absent given the UK’s adherence to the EU’s common food safety and animal health regime, and the intensity of such controls on agricultural trade will pose particular challenges for both port infrastructure and traffic flow at the UK-EU border. It remains unclear how they would be carried out on agricultural exports entering the EU via the Irish border.
71 See for example the letter from the Chancellor of the Exchequer (Rt Hon. Philip Hammond MP) to Sir William Cash MP of 24 June 2019.
72 The Minister also notes in his Explanatory Memorandum that the Government is concerned the emergency measure to allow for the completion of any EU-funded exchange visits involving students or teachers at UK educational institutions under the Erasmus+ instrument does not cover people who are sent or hosted by institutions based in Gibraltar. Although the number of people potentially affected by this in a ‘no deal’ scenario would be low, it could be hugely disruptive for the individuals involved.
73 These legislative acts broadly fall into three categories in terms of legislative procedure (the ordinary legislative procedure for secondary EU law, where the European Parliament and Council must agree jointly on the legislation; Delegated Acts, which are proposed by the Commission and enter into force unless they are vetoed by the European Parliament or a qualified majority of Member States; and Implementing Acts, which are proposed by the Commission and need to be approved by a qualified majority of Member States in a technical committee and with no role for the European Parliament).
74 This Brexit contingency measure consists of 15 separate Implementing Acts, which mostly relate to specific types of animals or animal products for which the UK is listed as a safe country of origin—from a food safety and animal health perspective—if it leaves the EU without a transitional arrangement.
75 As long as the UK remains in the Single Market, it is presumed to conform to the EU’s common food safety and animal health standards and so its agricultural exports can enter into the territory of any other EU Member States without needing to be specifically listed first.
76 EU Regulation 1635/2006 requires non-EU countries affected by the fall-out from the Chernobyl disaster to attest that their agricultural exports, particularly of dairy products, comply with food safety standards set out in EU law. This Implementing Act means that requirement will apply to UK exports of certain agricultural products as soon as it leaves the Single Market. The Government opposed this, arguing that “the Commission’s proposal is not justified and is lacking a sound evidence base. Specific controls for some areas in the UK were lifted some years ago following public consultation and on the basis of the results of risk assessments which were also independently peer reviewed. Food from the UK is safe to eat, shown by our robust UK wide radiological monitoring programme. Enhanced checks are not warranted and should not be reintroduced as the risks from such foods remains low”.
77 The UK’s suspension from the ETS due to Brexit uncertainty was implemented because of fears that holders of UK-issued carbon credits could flood the market by selling their allowances issued while the UK remained a Member State ahead of ‘exit day’ (since they would no longer be needed once the UK was no longer part of the EU ETS), depressing the price and effectively making it cheaper for companies elsewhere in the EU to emit carbon dioxide.
78 The actual instruction to the central administrator of the EU ETS to suspend acceptance of UK issued carbon credits was made in December 2018. That same month, a legal act was adopted reinstating the UK’s participation in the ETS as soon as the Withdrawal Agreement is ratified.
79 This Brexit contingency measure allows derivatives contracts to be novated—moved—from the UK to an EU-based counterparty without triggering the requirement for the transaction to be cleared via a Central Counterparty for a year longer than otherwise would have been the case. The date of application of the clearing requirement varies for different categories of derivatives and therefore this transitional measure has variable end-points depending on the type of transaction involved.
80 Central banks, including those of non-EU countries, are exempted from certain regulatory requirements under EU financial services legislation on derivatives clearing, market abuse, markets in financial instruments and securities financing transactions. However, the Bank of England needed to be specifically listed since it was previously exempt as the Central Bank of an EU Member State. These Commission Delegated Acts confirm its exempted status.
81 The legal basis for the European Maritime & Fisheries Fund expires at the end of the EU’s current long-term budget in December 2020. Negotiations for a successor Fund for the 2021–2027 period are currently on-going.
82 If the Withdrawal Agreement is ratified, the UK would stay part of the Common Fisheries Policy until at least 31 December 2020.
83 Quotas for specific fish stocks in waters shared between the UK and EU Member States under the Common Fisheries Policy are set on an annual basis.
84 This Regulation adds UK citizens to the list of nationalities which are exempted from the visa requirement for short-term visits to the EU. Its adoption was delayed because of the controversial inclusion of a reference to Gibraltar as a ‘colony’ of the UK at the insistence of the Spanish Government, which the UK failed to block.
85 If the Withdrawal Agreement is ratified, the UK would stay part of all programmes funded by the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework, including Erasmus+, until 31 December 2020.
86 If the Withdrawal Agreement is ratified, freedom of movement between the UK and EU-27 would continue until the end of the transitional period. That includes the continued application of Regulation 883/2004 on social security coordination, even beyond the end of the transition for EU citizens in the UK prior to the end of that period. See our Report of 6 March 2019 for more information.
87 The Regulation, which relocated the European Medicines Agency to Amsterdam from London as of 30 March 2019, is being challenged before the European Court of Justice by the Italian Government. The file, contained in case C-59/18 and case C-106/19, is currently pending.
88 European Research Infrastructure Consortia (ERICs) are organisations established under EU law to deliver major international science and research collaborations. Their headquarters must be in an EU Member State or an ‘associated country’. There are currently 20, of which two—Instruct ERIC on structural biology and the European Social Survey—are based in the UK. It is unclear if the UK could host ERICs for the duration of any post-Brexit transitional period until 31 December 2020. In the event of a ‘no deal’ the UK would also cease to be a member of ERICs in which it currently participates as there would be no legal agreement to govern its involvement.
89 The Galileo satellite navigation programme has ground infrastructure on two British Overseas Territories (the Falkland Islands and Ascension).
90 The legal basis for the EU’s current inter-regional programmes, like PEACE, expires at the end of the EU’s current long-term budget in December 2020. Negotiations for a successor programme for the 2021–2027 period are currently on-going.
91 In November 2018 the European Commission said it would propose an amendment to Regulation 692/2011 on tourism statistics to reflect the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. As of April 2019, no proposal to this effect has been made.
92 This preparedness measure also encompasses a number of Commission Implementing Regulations related to tariff rate quotas on agricultural products. These have not been listed separately.
93 The date of application of this Regulation is nine months after the EU Treaties cease to apply to the UK. If ‘exit day’ is 31 October 2019, in a ‘no deal’ scenario the legislation would become applicable on 31 July 2020.
94 The legal basis for the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility, from which this new shipping route would be supported, expires at the end of the EU’s current long-term budget in December 2020. Negotiations for a successor Facility for the 2021–2027 budgetary period are currently on-going.
Published: 16 July 2019