Brexit Withdrawal Agreement: What Does the Future Relationship Hold?
The Brexit withdrawal agreement was finally passed in January 2020, but what does this mean for the future relationship between the UK and the EU? In this article, we`ll take a closer look at the key points of the agreement and what they mean for the UK and EU going forward.
The Withdrawal Agreement
The Brexit withdrawal agreement is a legally binding document that sets out the terms of the UK`s departure from the EU. It covers a wide range of topics, including citizens` rights, the financial settlement, and the Northern Ireland protocol.
One of the biggest challenges of the withdrawal agreement was avoiding a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. To achieve this, the agreement includes a protocol that creates a special status for Northern Ireland. This means that Northern Ireland will remain aligned with certain EU rules and regulations to ensure that there is no need for border checks.
However, the Northern Ireland protocol has been a controversial issue for some time, with some arguing that it creates a border down the Irish Sea and undermines the integrity of the UK. Critics of the protocol say that it could lead to a de facto border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, which would be unacceptable.
Future Relationship
While the withdrawal agreement covers the UK`s departure from the EU, it does not provide any detail on the future relationship between the two sides. This is because the withdrawal agreement only deals with the divorce, not the future relationship.
The UK and EU have been negotiating a future relationship since the withdrawal agreement was signed, but progress has been slow. One of the key sticking points has been the issue of fisheries, with the UK pushing for greater control over its waters and the EU wanting to maintain the status quo.
Another hotly debated issue is the level playing field, which refers to the idea that the UK and EU should have similar rules and regulations to ensure fair competition. The UK has been pushing for greater regulatory freedom, while the EU wants to ensure that the UK doesn`t gain an unfair advantage by lowering its standards.
Conclusion
The Brexit withdrawal agreement was a significant step in the UK`s departure from the EU, but there is still a long way to go before the future relationship is settled. Negotiations between the UK and EU are ongoing, and the two sides are still far apart on some key issues.
As the negotiations continue, there will be many more twists and turns along the way. One thing that is certain is that the Brexit process has been a long and complex journey, and the future relationship between the UK and EU is far from certain.
