Research Briefing:

1. Introduction

This paper provides an update on the most recent developments on Brexit of relevance to Wales. It includes sections on the work of the Assembly and Welsh Government; EU; UK; and Scotland and Ireland. The period covered is 1 – 15 March, although reference is made to later events where information is available at time of final drafting.

2. Developments in Wales

National Assembly for Wales

External Affairs and Additional Legislation Committee

The External Affairs and Additional Legislation (EAAL) Committee is the lead Committee in the Assembly for co-ordinating the Brexit-related activities of Committees. The Committee has completed an inquiry into the Potential Implications of Leaving the EU in Wales.

On 27 March the Committee will hold an all-day Conference ‘Brexit: What next for Wales?’. The Conference will bring together key organisations and bodies from across Wales to discuss priorities for Wales in the UK’s negotiations on exiting the EU.

The most recent sessions of the EEAL Committee inquiry were:

§ 6 & 13 March: The Committee continued to take evidence for the Inquiry into regional policy.

3 March: Devolved legislatures agree areas of common concern on Brexit. Joint talks were held at the Scottish Parliament between Members of the European committees of the National Assembly for Wales, the Scottish Parliament and the London Assembly. The politicians identified areas of common concern on issues including: the free movement of people; the replacement of European funding, and intergovernmental relations. David Rees AM, Chair of External Affairs and Additional Legislation Committee highlighted that the talks were an important step in exploring areas of consensus and common ground between the institutions on Brexit. Regular updates on the work of the EAAL Committee are posted on the Assembly Blog: https://assemblyblog.wales/tag/european-union/.

The Research Service’s own blogs are published on In Brief. The latest Brexit blog is Brexit: Views from Wales and Westminster, which summarises evidence the Committee received from the First Minister for Wales, Carwyn Jones and the Minister for State for Exiting the EU, David Jones.

Other

The Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee is carrying out an inquiry into Marine Protected Areas in Wales, and an inquiry into the Future of Agricultural and Rural Development Policies in Wales.

The Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee has just closed its consultation on What will human rights in Wales look like after Brexit?

‘The implications of Brexit for the medical workforce’ is explicitly included in the terms of reference for the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee’s current inquiry on medical recruitment. This inquiry will continue gathering oral evidence throughout March.

Plenary debates

22 March: Debate on the External Affairs and Additional Legislation Committee report on the implications for Wales of leaving the European Union.

Welsh Government

6 March: New €7m EU investment in Wales and Ireland’s fisheries industry.

10 March: €6.7m EU boost to improve bathing waters in Ireland and Wales.

10 March: Written Response by the Welsh Government to the report of the External Affairs and Additional Legislation Committee entitled Implications for Wales of leaving the European Union.

13 March: EU approval unlocks major funding boost for Caernarfon.

News

6 March: FUW highlights need for UK Agricultural Framework at Plaid Cymru Conference.

6 March: FUW urges Devolved Ministers to work closely in developing UK Framework.

7 March: CLA statement on first International Trade Committee report.

8 March: Farming critical to UK economy (NFU).

9 March: WCVA members give verdict on Brexit - three quarters of respondents 'feel largely negative'.

3. EU developments

European Council

7 March: EU budget framework 2014-2020: Council agrees to put greater focus on new priorities.

8 March: The Spring Tripartite Social Summit debated "The future of Europe: charting the course towards growth, employment and fairness". Remarks by President Donald Tusk following the tripartite social summit.

9-10 March: European Council:

Parliament President Tajani: “Europe needs to be changed not weakened”.

Donald Tusk re-elected president of the European Council, to 30 November 2019.

Remarks by President Donald Tusk on the European Council meeting of 9 March 2017.

The Council discussed jobs, growth and competitiveness, security and defence, migration and the Western Balkans. The conclusions were not formally adopted.

Remarks by President Donald Tusk after the informal meeting of the 27 heads of state or government

European Commission

1 March: Commission President Juncker presented his White Paper on the post-Brexit EU.

European Parliament

1 March: Future of the EU: MEPs discuss five scenarios set out by Jean-Claude Juncker.

1 March: MEPs delve into priorities for upcoming European Council.

UK must obey EU free movement laws until it leaves the EU, say MEPs.

Brexit: Parliament looks into rights of Europeans living in the UK.

2 March: Parliament President Tajani: "Brexit will be a particular challenge for Ireland and its people".

14 March: Sanctions of unprecedented severity were announced by EP President Antonio Tajani on Tuesday, against Polish MEP Janusz Korwin-Mikke for his unacceptable remarks against women during a plenary debate on the "Gender pay gap" on 1 March.

Brexit Literature Update March 2017 - European Parliamentary Research Service

European News

Ombudsman urges appropriate Brexit transparency - European Ombudsman, 2 March

4. UK developments

16 March: Royal Assent was given to the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill.

UK Government

Information about the UK leaving the EU (DExEU – 1 March update)

2 March: A new chapter in UK-Denmark relations – David Davis article in Politiken (Denmark).

2 March: Defence dialogue on our EU exit.

3 March: Maintaining our close ties with Slovakia – David Davis article in Pravda (Slovakia).

3 March: Ministers in latest dialogue with financial services firms.

9 March: European Council March 2017: Prime Minister's press statement.

13 March: Prime Minister's meeting with Prime Minister Muscat of Malta.

14 March: Prime Minister's Commons statement on the European Council.

EC-UK forum – 6 March

The latest EC-UK forum took place in the House of Lords on 6 March 2017. The forum brings together the Chairs from relevant European committees from across the UK. David Rees AM, Chair of the External Affairs and Additional Legislation attended from the National Assembly for Wales. Chairs from across the UK provided updates on the work of their respective committees and discussed potential areas for collaboration.

House of Commons

9 March: Oral questions on Exiting the European Union were answered by the Secretary of State David Davis, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Robin Walker, and the Minister of State David Jones.

13 March: Adjournment debate on Leaving the EU: Poultry Producers.

13 March: Debate on the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill. The Commons rejected the Lords’ amendments.

14 March: Prime Minister’s Statement on the European Council, and questions.

28 February: The Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee looked at the impact of Brexit on the UK's nuclear industry and wider investor confidence in the energy sector.

28 February: The Health Committee examined the impact of Brexit on the health and social care workforce and on provision of health services for British expatriates and EU nationals in the U.K.

1 March: The Procedure Committee heard evidence from Academic lawyers on delegated powers and the 'Great Repeal Bill'.

2 March: The Committee on Exiting the European Union visited Swansea to hear evidence on the risks and opportunities of Brexit for Wales.

7 March: Brexit impact on universities in the North and Scotland examined in Northumbria University by the Education Committee.

7 March: The Exiting the European Union Committee heard from Mark Drakeford AM, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government. The transcript has been published.

7 March: The Environmental Audit Committee held its third and final public hearing examining evidence and witnesses for the Committee’s inquiry into the Future of Chemicals Regulation after the EU Referendum.

7 March: The Home Affairs Committee questioned the Europol Director on policing and security issues.

8 March: The European Scrutiny and the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committees met jointly held an evidence session with George Eustice MP, Minister of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, on the implications of Brexit for Fisheries and Agriculture.

8 March: The Work and Pensions Committee held an evidence session on Brexit and labour market policy.

10 March: How have TTIP negotiations informed future UK-US trade talks? – International Trade Committee begins to take evidence.

14 March: If the UK is to continue to trade with the EU or to cooperate on law enforcement after it leaves, then we need mechanisms in place beforehand for third-country data transfer, said the European Scrutiny Committee in its weekly report on new EU legislations.

14 March: The Exiting the European Union Committee discussed the UK’s negotiating objectives for its withdrawal from the EU with Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, and on 15 March with the Secretary of State David Davis MP and the department’s Permanent Secretary.

15 March: The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee held its final evidence session as part of its inquiry into Feeding the Nation: labour constraints. George Eustice MP, Minister for Agriculture, Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs and Robert Goodwill MP, Minister for Immigration, Home Office, were questioned.

1 March: The Exiting the European Union Committee published its report The Government’s negotiating objectives: the rights of UK and EU citizens. The Committee unanimously agreed that the Government should now make a unilateral decision to safeguard the rights of EU nationals living in the UK.

7 March: Access to European broadcasting market post-Brexit questioned by European Scrutiny Committee note.

7 March: The International Trade Committee published its report UK trade options beyond 2019. The report covers Re-joining EFTA, a Free Trade Agreement with the EU, ‘no deal’ – WTO terms with the EU, Free Trade Agreements with the rest of the world and Establishing the UK's position at the WTO.

10 March: The Welsh Affairs Committee has published its initial findings as part of the inquiry into the Implications for Wales of the EU referendum result. The Chairman, David TC Davies MP, said “We will soon be launching an inquiry into the effect on Agriculture, following concerns raised by attendees – what support did the EU provide and what opportunities are there to provide new support for Welsh farmers after Brexit?”.

12 March: The Foreign Affairs Committee published its report Article 50 negotiations: Implications of 'no deal', which says that it would be a 'Dereliction of duty' to fail to plan for 'no deal'.

House of Lords

The House of Lords European Union Committee and its six Sub-Committees is undertaking a “co-ordinated series of inquiries into the key issues that will arise in the forthcoming negotiations on Brexit”.

1 March: The contribution of EU and non-EU citizens was raised in questions about Immigration, answered by the former AM, now Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth.

1 March: European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill Committee stage. Peers voted to guarantee the continuing rights of EU citizens living in the UK.

2 March: A debate on the European Union Committee’s report Brexit: the options for trade.

7 March: European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill: Report stage: Continued: Third Reading, Bill passed.

7 March: Questions on European Union: Migration and rights.

13 March: Questions on Brexit: Commonwealth, Trade and Migration.

13 March: European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill – The Lords did not reinstate their amendments that the Commons had rejected.

1 March: The EU Home Affairs Sub-Committee took evidence from lawyers and academics on the EU data protection Directive and Regulation, the EU-US Privacy Shield and the EU-US Umbrella Agreement. On 8 March the UK Information Commissioner gave evidence.

1 March: The EU Energy and Environment Sub-Committee questioned the UK's Chief Veterinary Officer about the implications of Brexit for animal health and animal welfare.

3 March: The EU External Affairs and EU Internal Market Sub-Committees have received a response from Lord Bridges of Headley MBE, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Exiting the EU, and Lord Price CVO, Minister of State for Trade Policy, Department for International Trade, to their report, Brexit: the options for trade, which was published on 13 December 2016.

6 March: The EU Select Committee heard from two Scottish expert peers, as part of its ongoing inquiry on Brexit: devolution.

8 March: The Economic Affairs Committee heard evidence about the immigration impact of Brexit on different sectors of the economy.

8 March: The EU Energy and Environment Sub-Committee questioned the Minister for Agriculture, George Eustace MP, on the UK's agriculture policy and future relationship with the EU following the vote to leave the European Union.

13 March: The Brexit impact on Wales was explored by the EU Committee, with Lords Hain, Hunt and Wigley, followed by Mark Drakeford AM.

14 March: The Economic Affairs Committee heard evidence from Robert Good MP, Minister of State for Immigration for its inquiry into Brexit and the Labour Market.

1 March: The European Union Committee published its report Brexit: Gibraltar.

4 March: The EU Financial Affairs Sub-Committee published its report Brexit and the EU budget.

6 March: The Home Affairs Sub-Committee published its report Brexit: UK-EU

movement of people.

14 March: Customs admin and delays a serious concern for firms after Brexit – The EU External Affairs Sub-Committee published its report on the implications of Brexit for the UK’s trade in goods.

5. Scotland

Scottish Parliament

5 March: The Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Relations Committee published its report Determining Scotland’s future relationship with the European Union. The Committee called for a bespoke solution on Brexit.

15 March: Debate on the Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Relations Committees Reports: The EU referendum result and its implications for Scotland: Initial Evidence; Brexit: What Scotland thinks: summary of evidence and emerging issues; EU Migration and EU Citizens’ Rights; Determining Scotland’s future relationship with the European Union.

Scottish Government

13 March: Scotland must have choice over future – First Minister sets out plan for referendum in face of hard Brexit.

14 March: Referendum must be ‘made in Scotland’ - Cabinet agrees vote should be determined by Scottish Parliament.

6. Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland Assembly

The first sitting of the new Assembly was held on 13 March.

7. UK Ireland relations

2 March: The Taoiseach visited Brussels as part of programme of strategic Brexit engagement.

10 March: Taoiseach Enda Kenny met Welsh First Minister, Carwyn Jones.

Leaving the European Union: The UK and Ireland (House of Lords Library, 13 March)

8. Other reports published

House of Commons