British and EU negotiators adopted a broad free-trade deal on Christmas Eve, meaning trade between the 450 million-user trading bloc and the sixth largest global economy will continue to flow without taxes or quotas from 1 January.
Britain has accepted the agreement as a clear breach by the European Union that will allow London to set its own agenda, while the bloc has also welcomed a “good deal” that will allow all 27 member states. move on.
But much will be different once Britain completes its exit from the EU, its single market and customs union, at the end of this year. There are also parts left unfinished that need further compromise.
The document is available in total in 1,250 pages (PDF).
Here are some examples of what is changing.
Flat Playground:
This issue almost ended the negotiations when Britain accused the EU of introducing a new request that would give the bloc a unilateral right to impose tariffs on Britain if it was thought to have moved. too far from the rules of fair competition.
The agreement means that both have the right to challenge the other through a conciliation mechanism if it is understood that a regulatory separation has led to a competitive issue.
It also states that if such mechanisms are used too often and for too long, rearrangement of the relevant parts of the concordance may be encouraged.
More reviews and red tape in merchandise:
Unlike so far, goods moving between Britain and the EU will be subject to animal customs, regulatory and safety inspections, leading to increased red tape requirements.
Ireland, the most Brexit-affected EU country, estimated in September that import and export declarations could rise 12fold to as much as 20 million a year.
Free movement of persons to an end:
Although the EU and the UK have agreed to issue visas for short-term stays, the free movement of people will come to an end.
That means that EU citizens going to the UK, and vice versa, will be subject to wider border screening. The right of EU citizens to live and work in the UK – as well as the ability of British citizens to do the same in Europe – will be limited.
Pet passports will not be automatically recognized beyond the EU-UK border.
Reduced security information sharing:
Britain has signed up to the treaty to ensure a range of fast and efficient security capabilities but there are major changes to the way Britain and the EU share security, police and intelligence data.
The UK will no longer participate in Europol or Eurojust, and will lose access to the Schengen Information System, although there are ways to share passenger, fingerprint, DNA and vehicle data.
A senior member of the UK’s negotiating team said the “broad” deal allowed Britain to co-operate with Europol or Eurojust, but that those involved had to get used to a different process.
Curbs on transport:
UK permits for passenger or freight flights will not be sufficient to operate between EU destinations or from the EU onwards. Britain and EU states can, however, fly each other, and cooperate on the safety of flights and slots.
For road transport, cabotage will be reduced but carriers carrying freight between the EU and the UK can operate without limits and have full rights of movement.
Changes to fishing quotas, limited access to waters:
Full access to each other’s fishing waters will end after a 5-and-a-half transition period from 2021, when catch quotas will be gradually transferred from the EU to the UK.
Both sides have agreed that 25 per cent of EU boat fishing rights in British waters will be transferred to the UK fishing fleet over that period. After that, there will be annual talks to see how far EU ships can catch in British waters and vice versa.
A senior member of the UK negotiating team said both sides needed to compromise, but at the end of the transition, Britain would have full control over and access to its waters.
Financial services:
From 1 January, British-based financial services organizations will lose automatic access to the EU single market. Both sides have argued that new market access must be negotiated outside the trade agreement in specific equality contracts.
Both sides will also aim to agree a memorandum of understanding on March 2021 on regulatory cooperation in financial services.
Individual agreements for energy, climate:
Britain will no longer participate in the EU’s internal energy market or be part of the bloc’s emissions trading scheme.
The British government announced this month that it would establish a domestic emissions trading scheme (UK ETS) from 1 January.
State aid:
In terms of state aid, the two have agreed to form an organization to provide an independent overview and operate within six overarching principles.
But Alexander Rose, director of legal business DWF, said: “We know we will have a new subsidy control system in the UK, but at this stage … we don’t know who will be monitoring this. , what the rules are and whether there are restrictions on exemption (used for 99 percent of rewards) stay. “
Transfer costs:
EU member states have agreed to lower mobile tariffs for mobile connections and data within their single market, a legal requirement on mobile operators that will no longer apply to Britain from the beginning of 2021.
If telecoms companies incur such costs, as is the case with Switzerland, citizens traveling between the EU and the UK will have to turn away their data or pay higher costs.