Future UK-EU relationship report published

04 April 2018

In this third report of its overarching inquiry into the Article 50 negotiations, the Exiting the European Union Committee sets out key tests by which any deal agreed by October 2018 must be judged.

The Committee's tests by which it will judge the political declaration in October 2018 are as follows:

• The border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland must remain open with no physical infrastructure or any related checks and controls, as agreed in the Phase 1 Withdrawal Agreement.
• Crime and terrorism: arrangements must replicate current operational and practical cross-border cooperation; particularly continued involvement with Europol and the European Arrest Warrant and participation in the EU's information-sharing systems including SIS II.
• Institutional and decision-making frameworks must be identified to ensure that the UK is able fully to participate in foreign and security cooperation with the EU, to meet the challenges it shares with its EU27 neighbours.
• In respect of trade in goods, there must be no tariffs on trade between the UK and the EU 27.
• Trade in goods must continue to be conducted with no additional border or rules of origin checks that would delay the delivery of perishable or time-sensitive deliveries or impede the operation of cross-border supply chains.
• There must be no additional costs to businesses that trade in goods or services.
• UK providers of financial and broadcasting services must be able to continue to sell their products into EU markets as at present.
• UK providers of financial and other services should be able to retain automatically, or with minimal additional administration, their rights of establishment in the EU, and vice versa, where possible on the basis of mutual recognition of regulatory standard.
• There must be no impediments to the free flow of data between the UK and the EU.
• Any new immigration arrangements set up between the UK and the EU must not act as an impediment to the movement of workers providing services across borders or to the recognition of their qualifications and their right to practise.
• The UK must seek to maintain convergence with EU regulations in all relevant areas in order to maximise access to European markets.
• The UK's continued participation in the European Medicines Agency, the European Aviation Safety Agency, and the European Chemicals Agency and in other agencies where there is a benefit to continuing co-operation.
• The UK's continued participation in the Horizon 2020 programme, the Erasmus+ scheme, the Galileo project and in other space and research programmes in order to support the work of our world-class academic institutions and the importance of cultural and educational exchange between the UK and the EU 27.
• The UK's continued participation in all relevant air safety agreements and the Open Skies Agreement to ensure no disruption to the existing level of direct flights.
• The UK Government must ensure maximum access to European markets while agreeing reciprocal access to waters and a fairer allocation of fishing opportunities for the UK fishing industry.

Full report: The future UK-EU relationship

© House of Commons