Guidance

TAC scrutiny process for the UK’s accession to CPTPP

Published 9 May 2023

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/trade-and-agriculture-tac-scrutiny-process-for-the-uks-accession-to-cptpp/tac-scrutiny-process-for-the-uks-accession-to-cptpp

1. Background

The UK concluded negotiations to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) on 31 March 2023. The negotiating teams are now undertaking the process of preparing the documents for signature.

Previously, following the conclusion of the UK’s free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations with Australia and New Zealand, the Secretary of State formally requested advice from the Trade and Agriculture Commission (TAC), in line with our terms of reference, very shortly after formal signature.

The TAC expects that the Secretary of State for Business and Trade will similarly request advice from the TAC in relation to accession to the CPTPP soon after signature and intends to observe the following process in providing its advice.

The areas the TAC focuses on are:

  • animal and plant health
  • animal welfare
  • the environment

2. Process

Typically, the TAC has at least 3 months in which to complete its reports. The precise timescale is set by the Secretary of State.

The process the TAC follows when conducting its scrutiny is:

  1. Trade agreement signed by parties.
  2. Secretary of State commissions the TAC in writing.
  3. TAC scrutiny work begins.
  4. Public call for evidence consultation launched. This is open for approximately one month and allows stakeholders to submit written feedback on the deal. Alongside this, the TAC invites stakeholders and government negotiators to provide evidence in person at a series of private face-to-face meetings.
  5. TAC drafts its independent report.
  6. The report is sent to the Secretary of State and then laid in parliament.

In preparation for this process the TAC is meeting regularly and undertaking preliminary work on the CPTPP, but will not be taking formal or informal evidence until it has been officially invited to report on the agreement by the Secretary of State.

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