Report under section 2(1) of the European Union (Withdrawal) (No.2) Act 2019- HTML version
Published 8 November 2019
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Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union
This report is being made for the purposes of section 2(1) of the European Union (Withdrawal) (No.2) Act 2019 and outlines what progress has been made in negotiations on the United Kingdom’s relationship with the European Union.
The requirement to make this report arises from the agreement reached with the European Council (in accordance with the European Union (Withdrawal) (No.2) Act 2019) to extend the period under Article 50(3) of the Treaty on European Union to 11.00 pm on 31 January 2020.
The United Kingdom and the European Union concluded negotiations by reaching political agreement, endorsed by the European Council on 17 October 2019, on 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” and the “Political Declaration setting out the framework for the future relationship between the European Union and the United Kingdom”.
A unilateral declaration by the United Kingdom with the title “Declaration by Her Majesty’s Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland concerning the operation of the ‘Democratic consent in Northern Ireland’ provision of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland”, was also made on 17 October 2019.
There have been no further negotiations with the EU following the agreement.
On 21 October the Government introduced the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill 2019, that would give effect to the agreement in domestic law. The Bill successfully passed its Second Reading in the House of Commons on 22 October although the House did not subsequently agree on the timetable for further consideration of the legislation.
The Early Parliamentary General Election Act 2019, to allow for a general election on 12 December 2019, received Royal Assent on 31 October 2019.