The ICO is the UK’s independent regulator who oversees and enforces the UK’s data protection regime. From 1st January 2021 as the ICO’s website states “… the UK General Data Protection Regulation together with the amended Data Protection Act and Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations will comprise the personal data protection legislation in the UK.” The Trade and Co-operation Agreement (ETCA) agreed between the UK and the EU on 24th December 2020 agreed a ‘data-bridge’ which provides for the continued free flow of personal data from the EU and EEA EFTA States to the UK until adequacy decisions are adopted, and for no longer than six months.
As one of the key sticking points in negotiations leading up to the trade deal agreed on 24 December 2020, the future of the UK's state aid regime has been uncertain ever since it was determined that the UK was to leave the EU. However, with terms now agreed between the EU and UK on the control of subsidies in each jurisdiction, some clarity has been provided for UK and EU businesses alike on this contentious issue.
The Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) between the UK and the EU, which took effect on 1 January 2021, dedicates an entire chapter to digital trade arrangements, such as the supply of goods and services through online channels. This is the first time an EU trade agreement has included a specific chapter of this nature and marks the importance of digital trade between the two jurisdictions.
As the dust settles on the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, and the majority of businesses have returned after a break of some kind at the end of 2020, the end of the Brexit Transition Period means that UK (and some EU and EEA) users of derivatives find themselves in a new regulatory environment.
The end of the post-Brexit transition period on 31 December 2020 has brought with it some changes for those involved in civil litigation with an EU element. Generally, proceedings which are already on foot will be unaffected, whereas litigants involved in new proceedings with an EU element may now face a slightly bumpier procedural ride and some increased cost.
The Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) between the UK and the EU agreed just before Christmas was hailed by the Prime Minister as a deal which offers significant new freedoms for the UK (as compared with EU membership), whilst at the same time providing certainty and substantial economic benefits for business. But how far do those claims match what the agreement actually says?
At the eleventh hour, Parliament yesterday approved the European Union (Future Relationship) Bill, sealing the UK's approval of the 1,259-page Trade and Cooperation Agreement reached between the EU and the UK on Christmas Eve. The final Parliamentary stages were completed swiftly afterwards and the Agreement will apply on a provisional basis pending formal ratification from the EU, expected by the end of February 2021.
This briefing was updated on 14 January 2021 to reflect the provisions of the UK-EU trade deal.
Public procurement rules affect the way that government and other bodies controlled or funded by the state award contracts to the private sector. The current rules in the UK are heavily influenced by EU legislation.
The announcement that the UK and EU have (at long last) reached agreement on the trade aspects of their future relationship is obviously very welcome news for business. In particular, it avoids the prospect of an acrimonious break with the UK's biggest trading partners and will mitigate some (but by no means all) of the adverse trade impacts of the UK leaving the EU Single Market and Customs Union.
We spoke with Stephen Carr, Group Commercial Director of Peel Ports, and discussed how Brexit and COVID-19 could reshape the "distribution map" of the UK and increase UK manufacturing activity. We also examined the opportunities and challenges of the UK Government's freeports proposal.
The end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December 2020 will make a difference to the way that the UK and EU merger control regimes work. Here's what you need to know:
What difference does the end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December 2020 make to UK and EU competition law? And how likely is it that the UK will increasingly diverge from the EU in its approach to competition law?
Disruption to goods supply chains is widely expected after the Brexit transition period ends on 31 December 2020. Even businesses which are well prepared for new border processes could be caught up in delays.
Brexit is likely to have a major impact on goods supply chains, whether or not a trade deal can be reached with the EU. This checklist sets out the key issues that UK importers need to consider.
Brexit is likely to have a major impact on goods supply chains, whether or not a trade deal can be reached with the EU. This checklist sets out the key issues that UK exporters need to consider.
It has been just over a week since Chancellor Rishi Sunak made a statement to Parliament setting out the Government's approach to financial services following the UK's imminent departure from the EU on 31 December; a statement that has since sparked much debate, intrigue and (cautious) excitement in the fintech, market infrastructure and payments space.