Until the UK withdraws from the EU, all rights and obligations deriving from EU membership continue to apply in the UK.

 
The United Kingdom (UK) consists of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The UK is not a member of the Schengen Area. There are 73 members of the European Parliament from the UK.

EU - United Kingdom

MEPs and UK MPs met&nbsp;in Brussels on 3 and 4 July for the third EU-United Kingdom Parliamentary Partnership Assembly to discuss, among other issues, the state of play within the Partnership Council, EU-UK common efforts to support Ukraine, and cooperation on trade and industrial policy - including responses to the US Inflation Reduction Act.&nbsp;

EU-UK relations are changed&nbsp;following Brexit and the deal reached at the end of 2020. The United Kingdom (UK) left the European Union (EU) on 31 January 2020, after 47 years of EU membership. The UK has lost all the rights and benefits it had as an EU Member State and is no longer a part of the EU’s Single Market and Customs Union.

The EU-UK withdrawal agreement in force since 1 February 2020, ensured that the UK’s withdrawal from the EU happened in an orderly manner, and protects the rights of EU citizens and UK nationals, the EU’s financial interests, and peace and stability on the island of Ireland.

The EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and the UK sets out preferential arrangements in areas such as trade in goods and in services, digital trade, intellectual property, public procurement, aviation and road transport, energy, fisheries, social security coordination, law enforcement and judicial cooperation in criminal matters, thematic cooperation and participation in Union programmes.&nbsp; In April 2021 the European Parliament voted with a large majority in favour of granting also its consent to the agreement.

EU - UK relations

On 29 March 2017, Theresa MAY, British Prime Minister, triggered Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty.

The right of a Member State to withdraw from the European Union was introduced for the first time with the Lisbon Treaty; the possibility of withdrawal was highly controversial before that. The Article 50 provides for the negotiation of a withdrawal agreement between the EU and the withdrawing state, defining in particular the latter's future relationship with the Union. If no agreement is concluded within two years, that state's membership ends automatically, unless the European Council and the Member State concerned decide jointly to extend this period.

See also our previous package on <a href="https://multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en/brexit-8th-parliamentary-term_1603_pk">Brexit</a>.

Brexit

On 29 March 2017, Theresa MAY, British Prime Minister, triggered Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty.

The right of a Member State to withdraw from the European Union was introduced for the first time with the Lisbon Treaty; the possibility of withdrawal was highly controversial before that. The Article 50 provides for the negotiation of a withdrawal agreement between the EU and the withdrawing state, defining in particular the latter's future relationship with the Union. If no agreement is concluded within two years, that state's membership ends automatically, unless the European Council and the Member State concerned decide jointly to extend this period.

Brexit - 8th Parliamentary term

This package contains the events of 2020. For latest events, see related links.

The UK leaving the EU is not the end of cooperation. Discussions start to determine how the two will work together. Based on the European Commission’s draft negotiating directives, which were presented by EU Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier on Monday 3 February, the resolution will provide the Parliament’s initial input to the upcoming negotiations with the British government on a new partnership after Brexit.

The transition period starting on 1 February is set to expire at the end of December 2020. Any agreement on the future EU-UK relationship will have to be fully concluded before that point if it is to come into force on 1 January 2021. The transition period can be extended once for one to two years, but the decision to do so must be taken by the EU-UK Joint Committee before 1 July 2020. Parliament will have to approve any future relationship agreement. If such an agreement refers to competences that the EU shares with member states, then national parliaments will also need to ratify it.

EU - UK relations (2020)

MEPs, together with Commission and Council representatives, debate the preparations for the first EU-UK summit on British soil since Brexit.

EU and UK leaders will meet in London on 19 May for the first institutional bilateral gathering in Britain since the UK left the EU in 2020. Among other topics, they will discuss defence cooperation, opportunities for young people, and trade issues – the latter in the wake of the new US tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on trade partners. 

In particular, this includes a potential EU-UK security pact that could see the UK participate in the EU’s joint arms procurement scheme. Leaders will review the possibility of a youth mobility scheme to facilitate freedom of movement for young people aged 18-30, as well as efforts to eliminate sanitary and phytosanitary checks (SPS) on certain products that are exported from the UK to the EU, in particular those entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain.

Preparation of EU-UK summit

EP Plenary session - The United Kingdom accession to the Convention of 2 July 2019 on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Civil or Commercial Matters

AFET INTA - EU-UK Summit debriefing

EP Plenary session - Preparation of EU-UK summit

Roberta METSOLA, EP President meets with SOPHIE, Duchess of Edinburgh

5th EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly - Press point

5th EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly

Conference Enhancing Public Participation: The Role of Parliaments in Public Engagement and Outreach - Key Lessons for the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine

ENVI Committee - Exchange of views with Leena Ylä-Mononen, Executive Director of the European Environment Agency

EPRS - Book talk ' On Leadership ' featuring Tony Blair

Roberta METSOLA, EP President meets with Tony BLAIR, Executive Chairman of the Tony Blair Institute of Global Change

Roberta METSOLA, EP President meets with Nick THOMAS-SYMONDS, British Minister for the constitution and European Union relations

Delegation to the EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly Constitutive meeting

Roberta METSOLA, EP President meets with Keir STARMER, British Prime Minister

3rd EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly.- Press point

3rd EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly

Roberta METSOLA, EP President meets with James CLEVERLY, Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom

During the EP plenary debate in Brussels on the state of play of the EU's COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy, Ursula von der LEYEN, President of the European Commission has apologised publicly for “mistakes" made in triggering Article 16 of the Northern Ireland protocol last month.

Statement by Ursula von der LEYEN, EC President, on triggering Article 16 of Northern Ireland Protocol - Extract

Members of EP Committees on International Trade (INTA) and on Foreign Affairs (AFET) meet in the European Parliament in Brussels, to debrief on the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation agreement reached by EU and British negotiators on 24 December. Illustration shots of the meeting and extracts from the statements by David McALLISTER (EPP, DE), AFET Chair and by Bernd LANGE (S&D, DE), INTA Chair.

Debriefing on the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation agreement at EP INTA/AFET joint committees: illustration shots of the meeting and extracts from the statements by David McALLISTER (EPP, DE), AFET Chair and by Bernd LANGE (S&D, DE), INTA Chair

Representatives of the European Commission's Task Force for Relations with the United Kingdom discuss the analysis of the EU-UK agreement and debrief on the EU-UK Agreement on future relationship with the UK, in the European Parliament, in Brussels. They also discuss the conclusion of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, of the one part, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, of the other part. Statements by Pierre KARLESKIND (RE, FR), Chair of the Committee on Fisheries (PECH), Charlina VITCHEVA, Director General Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, European Commission, Leon DELVAUX, Director-General for Trade, European Commission, and Christophe HANSEN (EPP, LU).

EU-UK agreement: debriefing on the EU-UK Agreement on future relationship with the UK and conclusion of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement

David SASSOLI, EP President, Michael ROTH, German Minister of State for Europe and President in office of the Council of the EU, and Johannes HAHN, European Commissioner for Budget and Administration, sign seven COD LEX texts, in the European Parliament in Brussels including the Rule of Law conditionality and quality of water intended for human consumption.

Lex signing ceremony in presence of David SASSOLI, EP President, Johannes HAHN, European Commissioner, and Michael ROTH, German Minister of State for Europe and President in office of the Council of the EU

Ahead of the European Council (10-11 December 2020), Socialist leaders meet at the Sofitel Hotel, Brussels. Shots of the arrivals and round of table. Statements Paolo GENTILONI, European Commissioner for Economy on EU-UK negociations and EU Long term budget - MFF.

Socialist leaders meet ahead of the European Council (10-11 December 2020): arrivals and statements

Ahead of the European Council (10-11 December 2020) Renew (RE) leaders meet at the Palais d'Egmont, in Brussels. Arrivals and statements regarding the EU-UK negotiation and the EU budget.

RE Leaders meet ahead of the European Council (10-11 December 2020): arrivals and statements regarding the EU-UK negotiation and the EU budget

During the remote plenary session (23-26/11/2020) of the European Parliament in Brussels, MEPs debate on the state of play on Brexit with Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC and the German Presidency ahead of the 10-11 December EU summit.

Preparation of the European Council meeting of 10-11 December 2020: extracts from the debate on the state of play of Brexit

This memoclip illustrates the relations between the European Parliament and United Kingdom, before and after the accession of the State to the European Union: Winston Churchill on Europe, EEC enlargement to UK, 1975 referendum, first European election in UK, British Prime Ministers (Margaret Thatcher, John Major,Tony Blair and Gordon Brown) before the EP, 2016 UK referendum on EU membership and its outcome, the vote on the withdrawal Agreement of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the EU and Euratom and the negotiations between the EU and the United Kingdom following the withdrawal.

Memoclip: United Kingdom and the European Parliament (update version 10/2020)

Martin SCHIRDEWAN (GUE/NGL, DE) and Mary Lou McDONALD, Irish Sinn Féin politician, speaks to the press on Brexit and the Irish peace process ahead of EU Summit, in the European Parliament in Brussels.

Press conference by Martin SCHIRDEWAN (GUE/NGL, DE) and Mary Lou McDONALD, Irish Sinn Féin politician, on Brexit and the Irish peace process ahead of EU Summit

The EP Conference of Presidents meets with the presence of Michel BARNIER, Head of the Task Force for Relations with the United Kingdom meeting with EP members of the EU-UK Coordination Group, in the European Parliament in Brussels. Arrivals and roundtable.

Meeting of the EP Conference of Presidents with the presence of Michel BARNIER, Head of the Task Force for Relations with the UK

Ursula von der LEYEN, President of the EC gives her first State of the European Union address during the plenary session (14-17 September) of the European Parliament in Brussels. She is set to outline the impact of the Commission’s work in mitigating the COVID-19 health and economic crisis, and to present her vision for economic recovery, the fight against climate change, and the situation in Europe’s neighbourhood. Political group leaders will react to her speech, assess the Commission’s work and set out their views on the 2021 priorities.

State of the Union 2020: extracts of the debate on EU-UK negociations

This infoclip illustrates the Brexit and the negociations on the future relations between UK and EU in the perspective of the SOTEU (London general views, Last session with United Kingdom, removal of the Union Jack flag from EP building, Boris Johnson, Barnier, McAllister...).

Infoclip: SOTEU debate - Brexit

EP members of the EU-UK Coordination Group meet remotedly with Michel BARNIER, Head of the Task Force for Relations with the United Kingdom, in the European Parliament in Brussels.

Michel BARNIER, Head of the Task Force for Relations with the United Kingdom meets with EP members of the EU-UK Coordination Group: arrivals and round table

Visit of Michel BARNIER, Head of the Task Force for Relations with the United Kingdom, to the European Parliament in Brussels. Arrivals, welcome by David SASSOLI, EP President, and roundtable. SASSOLI makes his statement after his meeting in the European Parliament in Brussels.

David SASSOLI, EP President meets with Michel BARNIER, Head of the Task Force for Relations with the United Kingdom: arrivals, roundtable and extracts from the press point

After his meeting in the European Parliament in Brussels with Michel BARNIER, Head of the Task Force for Relations with the United Kingdom, David SASSOLI, EP President, speaks to the press on the situation of the negociations on the future of EU - UK relations. This transcription speech is the result of an automatic process. Check against delivery.

Press statement by David SASSOLI, EP President, following his meeting with Michel Barnier, Head of the Task Force for Relations with the United Kingdom

David McALLISTER (EPP, DE), Chair of the UK Coordination Group and the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), Bernd LANGE (S&D, DE), Chair of the International Trade Committee (INTA), Kati PIRI (S&D, NL), and Christophe HANSEN (EPP, LU), co-rapporteurs, speak to the press on EU-United Kingdom future relations, in the European Parliament in Brussels.

Press conference by David McALLISTER (EPP, DE), Bernd LANGE (S&D, DE), Kati PIRI (S&D, NL), and Christophe HANSEN (EPP, LU) on EU-United Kingdom future relations

During the plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels, MEPs take stock of the progress made in the EU-UK negotiations on a new partnership and adopt a resolution which will serve as its input to the high-level conference planned for June, when both parties will meet to assess the achievements of the talks so far.

Recommendations on the negotiations for a new partnership with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: extracts from the debate

David SASSOLI, EP President participates in the EU-UK high-level video conference chaired by Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC with Charles MICHEL, President of the European Council and Boris JOHNSON, British Prime Minister, in the European Parliament in Brussels.

EU-UK high-level video conference chaired by Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, with the participation of David SASSOLI, EP President, and Charles MICHEL, President of the European Council and Boris JOHNSON, British Prime Minister

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