On 27 February 2020, the United Kingdom (UK) government published an outline of its intended approach to the forthcoming negotiations with the European Union (EU) over the future EU/UK relationship once the Brexit transition period ends. As set out in our previous GT Alert, “UK to Formally Leave EU on Friday 31 January 2020”, while the UK formally left the EU on 31 January 2020, the terms of the UK’s departure include an 11-month transition period to allow the UK and EU to adjust to their eventual new relationship. Unless that transition period is extended by agreement with the EU, the UK’s current position – subject to EU law until 31 December 2020 and essentially a de facto member of the EU – will be replaced by a new free trade agreement in 2021, or, if agreement cannot be reached, by a future relationship on so-called ‘World Trade Organisation terms’.

Read the full GT Alert, “UK Approach to EU Negotiations Post-Brexit: Implications for Environmental Standards.”