Overview

This bill aims to allow the UK government to seek a two-year extension to the Brexit transition period (the implementation period) by removing a previous legal restriction against doing so. It mandates the government to pursue this extension through the Joint Committee established under the Withdrawal Agreement.

Description

The primary purpose of the European Union Withdrawal (Implementation Period) Bill is to amend existing legislation to enable the government to negotiate an extension of the post-Brexit transition period. Specifically, it repeals Section 33 of the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020, which previously prohibited the government from agreeing to such an extension. The bill also requires the government to make necessary consequential amendments to domestic law to reflect any agreed extension. If an extension is agreed, the Secretary of State must make regulations to align domestic legislation with the new, extended period. These regulations will be subject to parliamentary approval.

Key Provisions:

• Makes a two-year extension of the implementation period a government negotiating objective.
• Repeals the existing ban on extending the implementation period.
• Grants the Secretary of State the power to amend UK law to reflect any agreed extension.

Government Spending

The bill states that any expenditure incurred by the Secretary of State in implementing the act, and any increases in spending under other acts attributable to this act, will be funded from money provided by Parliament. No specific figures are provided.

Groups Affected

• UK Government: The bill directly impacts the government's negotiating position and requires legislative action to implement any extension.
• Businesses: Businesses operating under the terms of the transition period will experience continued uncertainty until the extension is either agreed or ruled out.
• EU Institutions: The EU will be directly involved in negotiations surrounding any potential extension.
• Parliament: Parliament retains oversight through the process of approving any new regulations made under this Act.

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