EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement in the context of Greater Europe

⭐ Core Definition: EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement

The EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) is a free trade agreement signed on 30 December 2020, between the European Union (EU), the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), and the United Kingdom (UK). It provisionally applied from 1 January 2021, when the Brexit transition period ended, before formally entering into force on 1 May 2021, after the ratification processes on both sides were completed: the UK Parliament ratified on 30 December 2020; the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union ratified in late April 2021.

The agreement, which governs the relationship between the EU and the UK after Brexit, was concluded after eight months of negotiations. It provides for free trade in goods and limited mutual market access in services, as well as for cooperation mechanisms in a range of policy areas, transitional provisions about EU access to UK fisheries, and UK participation in some EU programmes. Compared to the UK's previous status as an EU member state, on 1 January 2021 the following ended as they are not incorporated in the TCA or the Brexit withdrawal agreement: free movement of persons between the parties; UK membership in the European Single Market and Customs Union; UK participation in most EU programmes; part of EU–UK law enforcement and security cooperation such as the access to real time crime data; defense and foreign policy cooperation; and the authority of the European Court of Justice in dispute settlement (except with respect to the Northern Ireland Protocol).

↓ Menu

HINT:

👉 EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement in the context of Greater Europe

Greater Europe refers to the idea of an extended Europe that generally implies a Europe transcending traditional geographic boundaries to include trans-Eurasian countries, or countries in close proximity to Continental Europe with strong political, economic, or cultural links to Europe.

↓ Explore More Topics

In this Dossier

⭐ Core Definition: EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement
👉 EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement in the context of Greater Europe
EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement in the context of United Kingdom–European Union relations
EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement in the context of Foreign relations of the United Kingdom

EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement in the context of United Kingdom–European Union relations

The United Kingdom is not a member state of the European Union. Relations between the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK) are governed, since 1 January 2021, by the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA).

Relations trace back to the foundation of the European Communities, the European Union's predecessor, in 1957. The UK was a member state of the bloc after joining it in 1973 (which was confirmed in a referendum on membership in 1975) until it became the first country to voluntarily end its membership on 31 January 2020 after a second referendum on membership was held in 2016 which resulted in 51.9% of voters opting to leave.

View the full Wikipedia page for United Kingdom–European Union relations

↑ Return to Menu

EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement in the context of Foreign relations of the United Kingdom

The diplomatic foreign relations of the United Kingdom are conducted by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, headed by the foreign secretary. The prime minister and numerous other agencies play a role in setting policy, and many institutions and businesses have a voice and a role.

The United Kingdom was the world's foremost power during the 19th and early 20th centuries, most notably during the so-called "Pax Britannica"—a period of unrivaled supremacy and unprecedented international peace during the mid-to-late 1800s. The country continued to be widely considered a superpower until the Suez crisis of 1956 and the dismantling of the British Empire left the UK's dominant role in global affairs to be gradually diminished. Nevertheless, the United Kingdom remains a great power and a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. The UK is a founding member of AUKUS, the Commonwealth, the Council of Europe, the European Court of Human Rights, the G7, the G20, the International Criminal Court, NATO, the OECD, the OSCE, the World Health Organization, and the World Trade Organization, additionally the UK is a member of CPTPP. The UK was also a founding member state of the European Union, however due to the outcome of a 2016 membership referendum, proceedings to withdraw from the EU began in 2017 and concluded when the UK formally left the EU on 31 January 2020, and the transition period on 31 December 2020 with an EU trade agreement. Since the vote and the conclusion of trade talks with the EU, policymakers have begun pursuing new trade agreements with other global partners.

View the full Wikipedia page for Foreign relations of the United Kingdom

↑ Return to Menu