EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement
The EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) is a free trade agreement signed on 30 December 2020, between the European Union (EU), the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), and the United Kingdom (UK). It provisionally applied[3][4] from 1 January 2021, when the Brexit transition period ended,[5] before formally entering into force on 1 May 2021, after the ratification processes on both sides were completed: the UK Parliament ratified on 30 December 2020;[6] the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union ratified in late April 2021.[2]
Trade and cooperation agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, of the one part, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, of the other part
Trade and cooperation agreement
Withdrawal of the UK from the EU on 31 January 2020
24 December 2020
30 December 2020
30 April 2021[1]
1 May 2021[2]
Ratification by both parties (Article 783)
1 January 2021 to 30 April 2021
The agreement, which governs the relationship between the EU and the UK after Brexit, was concluded after eight months of negotiations.[7] It provides for free trade in goods and limited mutual market access in services, as well as for cooperation mechanisms in a range of policy areas, transitional provisions about EU access to UK fisheries, and UK participation in some EU programmes. Compared to the UK's previous status as an EU member state, on 1 January 2021 the following ended as they are not incorporated in the TCA or the Brexit withdrawal agreement: free movement of persons between the parties; UK membership in the European Single Market and Customs Union; UK participation in most EU programmes; part of EU–UK law enforcement and security cooperation such as the access to real time crime data; defense and foreign policy cooperation; and the authority of the European Court of Justice in dispute settlement (except with respect to the Northern Ireland Protocol[8]).
In addition, two other separate treaties were negotiated, signed, and ratified in parallel around the same time by the UK and the EU/Euratom: an agreement on exchange of classified information[9] and another on cooperation in the field of nuclear energy.[10]
Signature, ratification and entry into force[edit]
Signature[edit]
After approval by the Council of the European Union on 29 December,[3] the President of the European Council Charles Michel and the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen signed the TCA on 30 December 2020 on behalf of the EU.[18] The agreement was then flown to London and signed for the UK by the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson.[18]
Ratification[edit]
The internal procedures of the UK and EU/Euratom had to be followed for ratification after signature. For the EU, this meant a decision by the Council of the European Union after receiving the consent of the European Parliament.[19] As the TCA was not treated as a mixed agreement, no national ratification procedures were needed in the member states.[20][21][22]
Reactions[edit]
In the EU[edit]
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, called the TCA "a fair and balanced agreement" that would allow Europe "to leave Brexit behind us and look to the future."[47] The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, said that the TCA "fully protects the fundamental interests of the European Union and creates stability and predictability for citizens and companies."[18] The former Taoiseach of Ireland, John Bruton, believes that the agreement has given the UK more sovereignty over the island of Britain, but this gain comes at the cost of losing a considerable weight of the UK's sovereignty over Northern Ireland.[48]
In the UK[edit]
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that the TCA would allow the UK "to take back control of our laws, borders, money, trade and fisheries" and would change the basis of the EU–UK relationship "from EU law to free trade and friendly cooperation".[38] The Leader of the Opposition, Sir Keir Starmer, said that his Labour Party would support the TCA because the alternative would be a "no deal" Brexit, but that his party would seek additional labour and environmental protections in Parliament. Nonetheless, many in his party opposed the agreement.[49] The Scottish National Party opposed the TCA because of the economic damage it said leaving the single market would inflict on Scotland.[50] All other opposition parties opposed the TCA.[51]
Among pro-Brexit interest groups, the Eurosceptic Conservative MPs of the European Research Group[52][53] and the Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage[54][55] endorsed the TCA, but the Bow Group wrote that it would not adequately restore UK sovereignty.[56] The British fishing industry was disappointed that the agreement did not more significantly reduce EU access to British waters.[57][58][59]
A YouGov survey of 29–30 December 2020 reported that 57% of respondents wanted the UK Parliament to accept the TCA and 9% to oppose it, with Conservative (78%) and Leave supporters (69%) more in favour than others.[60] 17% of respondents considered the TCA to be a good deal, 21% a bad one, 31% neither, and 31% were unsure.[60]