European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill 2017–19

European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill 2017-19
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Amends
European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018
Related legislation
European Communities Act 1972

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The European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill 2017-19 is the planned name of a future bill of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that proposes to enshrine any Withdrawal Agreement between the UK and the EU in domestic law. The Withdrawal Agreement is the subject of ongoing and future Brexit negotiations and won't be detailed until the negotiations are completed.^[1]

On 24 July 2018 the Government produced a white paper on the proposed bill and how the legislation would work.^[2]

Objectives

• Enshrine the Withdrawal Agreement between the UK and the EU in domestic law including any financial settlement and agreement on citizens’ rights^[1]
• Legislate the details of an implementation period^[1]
• Allow for changes to EU law to be legally binding in the UK
• Allow for Parliamentary scrutiny and oversight of the process via primary legislation, instead of secondary legislation via the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill
• Amend the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 to save the effect of the European Communities Act 1972 during the transition period.

Legislative history

On 13 November 2017, the Brexit Secretary, David Davis, announced plans for a new Bill to enshrine the Withdrawal Agreement, if any, between the UK and the EU in domestic law by primary legislation. Upon further questioning in the House of Commons, Davis clarified that if MPs chose not to pass the bill, the UK would remain on course to leave the EU on 29 March 2019 without a deal as a consequence of invoking Article 50 in March 2017, after the passing of the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Act 2017.^[3]

Described by The Independent as the government "caving in" to Tory rebels, the new bill would allow MPs to scrutinise any agreement "line-by-line", as well as make amendments.^[4] Conservative MP, Steve Baker, writing for The Times, claimed the new bill "gives whatever deal we strike with the EU proper standing in British law" and that it was consistent with the referendum result, in proving "more control over how we are governed to the UK Parliament."^[5]

See also

• Brexit
• European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018
• List of Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom relating to the European Communities / European Union
• Enabling act

References

External links

• Legislating for the Withdrawal Agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union 24 July 2018
• European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 Bills and legislation, parliament.uk
• Explanatory Notes, 13 July 2017, published with the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill
• Select Committee on the Constitution European Union (Withdrawal) Bill: interim report (published 7 September 2017)
• Legislating for the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union (The Great Repeal Bill White Paper), 30 March 2017 (Accessible web version) (Print version)
• Briefing paper, House of Commons Library, 1 September 2017
• UK Government – "Plan for Britain" website