(Title Image: Flickr via Tiocfaidh ár lá 1916 Creative Commons CC BY-ND)
Tucked away within the papers of this week’s meeting of the Senedd’s External Affairs Committee was a list of clauses the Welsh Government want to see included in any future law implementing the EU Withdrawal Agreement (pdf).
The Welsh Government’s draft clauses include:
- A “system for free movement of goods, persons, services and capital” between the UK and single market (EEA) subject to safeguards.
- A customs union between the UK and EU (but not the existing customs union).
- Some form of alignment on competition law, environmental regulations, employment rights and social policy.
- Close co-operation on education, research and culture.
- Consultation with the Welsh Government over the UK’s draft negotiating position prior to starting talks on a long-term deal with the EU.
- A statement every three months from the UK Government on progress in any future negotiations. Also, if no agreement has been reached within eight months of the transition period ending (in December 2020), the UK Government should issue a formal statement saying no agreement is likely to be reached.
- Any future agreement will need to approved by the UK Parliament and in consultation with the Welsh Government; though they don’t expect the Senedd to have any kind of veto, an agreement shouldn’t be considered final until it’s at least been debated in the Senedd.
- If the UK Parliament rejects the deal, the UK Government will need to issue a statement within 21 days on how the UK Government intends to proceed further.
Of course, there’s the small problem of actually getting the Withdrawal Agreement through the UK Parliament. As things stand, the UK is set to leave the EU in a “No Deal” by default on March 29th unless an extension to Article 50 can be negotiated with the 27 EU member states.
