22/08/2017

The case for making the UK’s withdrawal from the EU as smooth and orderly as possible is set out in two of the latest batch of position papers that will outline the UK’s approach ahead of the 3rd round of negotiations. They deal respectively with ‘Goods on the Market’ and ‘Confidentiality and Access to Documents’.

The EU exports goods worth £257bn (E314bn) to the UK, which is more than it exports to Brazil, Russia, India and China combined – a powerful reason why it is no-one’s interests to see disruption and uncertainty.

‘Continuity in the availability of goods for the EU and the UK – position paper’ outlines 4 key principles for ensuring a smooth and orderly withdrawal from the EU in regard to the availability of goods

  • goods placed on the market before exit should continue to be eligible for sale in the UK and EU without any additional requirements or restrictions
  • approvals obtained for goods before exit should remain valid in both markets after exit
  • the oversight of products must continue to ensure that necessary action can be taken for non-compliant or unsafe goods
  • where goods are supplied with services, there should be no restriction to the provision of these services

These principles would prevent bureaucracy and unnecessary duplication of effort by businesses or restricted supply of products to consumers. The paper makes it clear, however, that the UK’s still considers the best way to address these risks is through a “deep and special future partnership which enables its close trading relationship (with the EU) to continue to flourish”.

‘Confidentiality and access to documents – position paper’ stresses the importance of establishing a framework for the continued respect of obligations of confidentiality and the protection of official documents exchanged while the UK was a Member State.

Other papers to be published shortly will look at how to maintain the exchange of data with other European countries, future co-operation between the different legal systems and the thorny question of the UK’s future relationship with the European Court of Justice.