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Prospect welcomes parliamentary committee Brexit tests

4 April 2018

Prospect has welcomed a new report from the influential House of Commons Exiting the EU Select Committee which  lists a number of tests to judge the final Brexit deal.

Prospect senior deputy general secretary Sue Ferns said:

“Close scrutiny of the Brexit process is essential to ensuring we reach the best possible arrangement with the EU in the future, so I welcome this positive move which gives a clear set of criteria to judge the final deal on.

“Many of the points the committee make mirror those set out by Prospect in our Brexit checklist, such as membership of important EU agencies, participation in future science programmes, and migration arrangements that put the fewest possible barriers in the way of workers and employers.

“We also welcome the committee’s call to keep the option of a Norway-style deal on the table as this is an arrangement that would solve many of the challenges facing Prospect members, it is certainly a better backstop option than crashing out with no deal and it is something the government should be actively considering as we move towards exit day.”

Prospect Brexit checklist can be found here: https://www.prospect.org.uk/news/id/2018/February/23/Protecting-jobs-rights-standards-Prospect-sets-out-Brexit-checklist

The Committee’s tests by which it will judge the political declaration in October 2018 are as follows:

  • The border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland must remain open with no physical infrastructure or any related checks and controls, as agreed in the Phase 1 Withdrawal Agreement.
  • Crime and terrorism: arrangements must replicate current operational and practical cross-border cooperation; particularly continued involvement with Europol and the European Arrest Warrant and participation in the EU’s information-sharing systems including SIS II.
  • Institutional and decision-making frameworks must be identified to ensure that the UK is able fully to participate in foreign and security cooperation with the EU, to meet the challenges it shares with its EU27 neighbours.
  • In respect of trade in goods, there must be no tariffs on trade between the UK and the EU 27.
  • Trade in goods must continue to be conducted with no additional border or rules of origin checks that would delay the delivery of perishable or time-sensitive deliveries or impede the operation of cross-border supply chains.
  • There must be no additional costs to businesses that trade in goods or services.
  • UK providers of financial and broadcasting services must be able to continue to sell their products into EU markets as at present.
  • UK providers of financial and other services should be able to retain automatically, or with minimal additional administration, their rights of establishment in the EU, and vice versa, where possible on the basis of mutual recognition of regulatory standard.
  • There must be no impediments to the free flow of data between the UK and the EU.
  • Any new immigration arrangements set up between the UK and the EU must not act as an impediment to the movement of workers providing services across borders or to the recognition of their qualifications and their right to practise.
  • The UK must seek to maintain convergence with EU regulations in all relevant areas in order to maximise access to European markets.
  • The UK’s continued participation in the European Medicines Agency, the European Aviation Safety Agency, and the European Chemicals Agency and in other agencies where there is a benefit to continuing co-operation.
  • The UK’s continued participation in the Horizon 2020 programme, the Erasmus+ scheme, the Galileo project and in other space and research programmes in order to support the work of our world-class academic institutions and the importance of cultural and educational exchange between the UK and the EU 27.
  • The UK’s continued participation in all relevant air safety agreements and the Open Skies Agreement to ensure no disruption to the existing level of direct flights.
  • The UK Government must ensure maximum access to European markets while agreeing reciprocal access to waters and a fairer allocation of fishing opportunities for the UK fishing industry.