Chamber and committees

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee

Review of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement

Background

The UK’s relationship with the European Union (EU) is governed by the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). The TCA entered into force on 1 May 2021 and there is provision in the agreement for a joint review of the implementation of the Agreement five years after its entry into force. The Committee is looking at the TCA now so that we can contribute to the discussions at the UK and EU level that may take place in the run up to such a review.

Our focus is on trade in goods and services. The Committee wants to know from this inquiry how well the TCA is working for trade and whether there is an interest in developing the EU-UK trading relationship further.

Questions include

How trade in goods and services between the EU and UK is currently working and if there are areas where it can be improved.

Whether there is an interest in developing the trading relationship further e.g., through an agreement on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures* or on the opportunities for UK nationals to provide services in the EU. (*SPS measures ensure that food traded is safe to eat and animals and plants are free from pests and disease.)

Whether EU-UK relations in the future could build on elements of the Windsor Framework** to encourage flexible and simple conditions for trade. (**The Windsor Framework is a legal agreement between the EU and the UK announced on 27 February 2023 and formally adopted by both parties on 24 March 2023. It is designed to ensure the smooth movement of goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.)