Rapid response on the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) and the EU (Future Relations) Act
Channel: Cambridge Law Faculty
Date: 2021-01-19

A Centre for European Legal Studies (CELS), Centre for Public Law (CPL) and Lauterpacht Centre for International Law (LCIL) Rapid Response Seminar on the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) and the EU (Future Relations) Act.

This event follows our previous webinar on the UK Internal Market Bill in September (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npQrV7Vt2-Q).

The long awaited future relationship with the EU was finally agreed between the EU Commission and the United Kingdom Government on Christmas Eve 2020. The new TCA was signed by the EU and signed and ratified by the UK on 30 December 2020 and then provisionally enacted on 1 January 2021 with EU ratification still to follow in January when the EU Parliament will have discussed and approved the Treaty. The TCA changes the relationship between the UK and its former EU partners fundamentally. It is mainly a traditional free trade agreement with some modifications but importantly does not replace the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol or any other part of the Withdrawal Agreement. The EU (Future Relations) Bill, drafted and adopted in just a few days, adds to the complexity by implementing certain provisions directly, making others directly applicable and finally authorising Ministers and devolved administrations to implement other provisions.

The three Research Centres of the Faculty of Law have joined forces to analyse general, specific and constitutional aspects of the TCA and the EU (Future Relations) Bill in a rapid response seminar. Experts on EU law, international law and public law will jointly discuss different aspects of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement such as the core trade law disciplines, institutional aspects, level playing field provisions, human rights, environment, data protection and criminal law cooperation. The rapid response given by members of the three research centres is designed to bring different legal perspectives together and provide expert opinions on this new international Treaty and its implementing UK legislation from diverse points of view.

The event should last around 2 hours, and will allow enough time for an online Q&A.

Welcome – EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement Rapid Response Seminar

- Professor Catherine Barnard on behalf of all three Research Centres

Panel 1 (01:09) – The main elements of the TCA (Trade, Institutional Arrangements, Dispute Settlement, Relationship with Withdrawal Agreement and Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol, Level Playing Field Provisions)

Chair: Dr Markus Gehring

- Dr Lorand Bartels - International Trade, incl. Rules of Origin
- Professor Catherine Barnard - Services and Institutional Arrangements, incl. Dispute Settlement
- Professor Kenneth Armstrong - Level Playing Field and Relationship with the WA and I/NI Protocol

Panel 2 (33:53) – The specific elements of the TCA (Human Rights Law, Environment and Climate Change Law, Data Protection Law and EU Criminal Law Cooperation)

Chair: Dr Lorand Bartels

- Dr Martin Steinfeld - Human Rights Law
- Dr Markus Gehring - Environment and Climate Change Law
- Dr David Erdos - Data Protection Law
- Professor John Spencer - Criminal Law Cooperation

Panel 3 (01:12:22) – The EU (Future Relationship) Bill and the TCA in the UK Legal Order (Henry VIII powers, sovereignty claims and implementation of the TCA)

Chair: Professor Catherine Barnard

- Jack Williams (Monckton Chambers) – The EU (Future Relations) Bill
- Professor Alison Young - Parliamentary Approval and EU (Future Relationship) Bill