The Withdrawal Agreement: implications for Wales

Background

The EU and the UK began negotiating the UK’s exit from the European Union in March 2017.

On 14 November 2018, agreement on the terms of the UK’s withdrawal were reached at negotiators’ level.

The text of the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, as endorsed by leaders at a special meeting of the European Council on 25 November 2018, was published by the UK Government on 25 November 2018.

The UK Cabinet agreed the draft Withdrawal Agreement on Wednesday 14 November 2018

special meeting of the European Council endorsed the Agreement on Sunday 25 November 2018.

Whilst not a formal part of the process, the Senedd held a vote on the Withdrawal Agreement on Tuesday 4 December 2018. The Senedd voted to reject the Agreement and Political Declaration.

The UK Parliament voted to reject the Agreement and Political Declaration on 15 January 2019. A subsequent vote on the Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration was also rejected by the UK Parliament on 12 March 2019.

The External Affairs and Additional Legislation Committee

The External Affairs and Additional Legislation Committee, the Senedd’s ‘Brexit Committee’, began considering the implications for Wales of the UK’s departure from the European Union in September 2016.

The Committee endeavoured to ensure that Welsh interests were protected throughout the Brexit process and it made representations to both the UK and EU negotiators at various points in the process.

Report

The Committee published its report on the Withdrawal Agreement: implications for Wales on Thursday 29 November 2018.

Response to the report

The Welsh Government laid its response to the report on 7 January 2019.

Further developments

Following the rejection by UK Parliament of the Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration, the UK Government published a revised Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration which were considered and agreed at European Council on 17 October 2019.The External Affairs and Additional Legislation Committee published their report on the Withdrawal Agreement: implications for Wales (January 2020) on 20 January 2020.

Business type: Committee Inquiry

Reason considered: Senedd Business;

Status: Complete

First published: 22/11/2018

Documents