Brexit officially began Wednesday after UK Prime Minister
Theresa May triggered Article 50, kicking off Britain's withdrawal from the
European Union and the painstaking legislative to-do list that comes with it.
One of the next key steps will come when May's government
introduces the Great Repeal Bill.
The bill is designed to put an end to the EU's legal
jurisdiction over the UK. But first it will transpose all current EU laws into
the UK statute books "to ensure the maximum stability on exit," the
government says.
Parliament will then begin the daunting task of deciding
which EU laws to keep and which to scrap, essentially untangling four decades
of EU rules now enshrined in UK legislation.
There are nearly 20,000 EU legislative acts in force that
make up a mind-boggling set of rules dictating everything from how much clean
energy a country should use to the acceptable curvature of a grocery store
banana.
So where will the government begin? Here's a list of just 50
things the UK will need to work out as it sets sail on its own.
1. A new immigration
system
Immigration was a key issue in the Brexit debate. After the
UK withdraws from the union, a system to allow its nationals to visit, work,
study and live in the EU -- and vice versa -- must be hammered out.
The UK is currently part of the European Single Market,
which allows goods, services and people to move freely through member states.
EU citizens have the right to travel and seek work in other EU countries.
Roughly 1.2 million Brits were settled in the EU in 2015, and around 3.2
million EU nationals were living in the UK, according to government statistics.
But as May has made clear, the UK will no longer be part of
the single market, so this free movement will come to an end after Brexit.
The idea of a points-based system like Australia's has been
floated, with the aim of attracting immigrants with certain skills to fill gaps
in the economy.
2. Asylum seekers and
refugees
The UK has opted out of most EU legislation on immigration,
but an exception is the Dublin III regulation, under which EU member states can
transfer asylum seekers back to the first safe EU country they entered.
Since asylum seekers often reach the UK after traveling
through countries like Italy and Greece, the UK transfers more asylum seekers
back to those and other European countries under this rule than it receives.
But that law will no longer apply after Brexit, so those
countries won't be obliged to receive asylum seekers whom the UK wants to send
back. If the UK wants to preserve the principle of Dublin III, the government
must negotiate separate bilateral arrangements with each individual country.
3. A trade deal with
the EU
One of the most contentious points of the Brexit debate was
the UK's trade relations with the EU. A new trade deal is expected to be one of
the most difficult and important parts of the negotiations.
The UK intends to leave the EU's single market and may also
leave the EU customs union, through which Britain enjoys tariff-free trade. If
no trade deal is agreed upon, the UK would have to trade with the EU under
World Trade Organization rules, which could lead to new tariffs and
regulations.
4. Trade deals with
everyone else
Post-Brexit doors are opening for the UK to strike new trade
deals with non-EU countries like the US, China, Brazil, Australia and Canada.
As a member of the EU -- which negotiates trade deals as a bloc -- this would
not have been possible.
5. Security vs.
privacy
The UK government has proved nosier than most of its EU
counterparts -- last year, Parliament passed the Investigatory Powers Act,
better known as the "Snooper's Charter," which gives UK law
enforcement agencies unprecedented access to personal data and requires
telecommunications companies to store web-browsing histories for a year.
But the EU has strict data protection laws -- including one
directive, for example, that says EU countries must guarantee that information
is stored or accessed only if the user has been informed and been given the
right of refusal.
The EU in December ruled that parts of the "Snooper's
Charter" were unlawful. When the UK leaves the EU however, the judgment
will be rendered invalid.
6. Law enforcement
As well as being a member of Europol, the UK is part of an
EU system where police forces from different countries can automatically share
DNA, fingerprints and vehicle registration data for law enforcement purposes.
According to European think tank CEPS, "Brexit means that the UK will lose
access to all these information tools for law enforcement purposes."
7. Working out what
jam is
In 2010, an EU directive was passed stating that jams must
consist of 60% sugar and come from a list of approved fruits in order to be
classified as jam. The directive alarmed many small business owners already
marketing their product as jam, who thought they would have to either change
their labels or sugar content due to the regulation.
In 2013, Michelle "Clippy" McKenna, a British
apple preserve maker, argued that her product was a jam even though it didn't
cross the sugar threshold -- but it turned out that there was a clause in the
EU rule allowing for exemptions. It was just that the UK had not included this
clause into its own law. The government has kept a lid on its plans to amend
any food directives for now, although Brexit would allow the UK to can the jam
rule altogether should it wish to.
8. Pig semen
Want to import pig semen into the EU? Farmers seeking to
improve the quality of their pork must obtain pig semen from an authorized
collection center and make sure it comes with an animal health certificate,
according to another EU directive. It's not clear how the future of the swine
gene pool will be affected by Brexit yet -- but it's surely on the minds of the
farmers overseeing the 10,000 pig farms in the UK.
9. Bright lights
Could traditional incandescent light bulbs make a return to
high street shelves in the UK? The UK mostly phased out incandescent bulbs
following an EU directive favoring more energy efficient options in 2009. But
the regulation only applied to domestic use, and to this day the traditional
light bulbs are commercially available in the UK. It's possible Britain could
bring back the bright lights after Brexit.
10. Bendy bananas
The EU rules on bananas have long been the subject of
mockery. According to the 1994 regulation, bananas must be "free from
malformation or abnormal curvature," be more than 14 centimeters in length
and come in bunches of at least four. Other parts of the regulation say the
fruit must be free from pests and mostly free of bruises. Bananas might be
bendier after Brexit -- but could they be less appetizing too?
11. Footwear labeling
Look at the label on your shoes. If you bought it in the EU,
you'll find information about the materials used to make them. EU law specifies
that shoe labels must be embossed on the footwear or attached by an adhesive
label, fastener or string. Shopping for shoes after Brexit could be a much more
confusing affair if the UK doesn't find its footing with a new bill.
12. Move your horses
If you want to move a horse within the EU, strict rules
apply. The animal must show no sign of disease in the 48 hours prior to
traveling and must have had no contact with horses that have an infectious
disease in the previous 15 days. But countries outside the EU face even tougher
rules, including additional inspections by experts from EU countries and the
European Commission. A post-Brexit UK may need to negotiate a separate
arrangement to avoid these stricter regulations.
13. The future of
football
The rules around sporting transfers are likely to change
when Britain leaves the EU -- and impact one of the world's most watched leagues.
That means once Britain's demarcation from the EU is finally
drawn, footballers looking to ply their trade in the English Premier League --
or in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland -- are likely to be subject to a
tougher set of rules that govern transfers from outside the region.
The English Football Association in 2015 tightened the rules
for non-EU players joining English teams in an effort to give indigenous
players more chance.
So non-EU players had to have made a minimum number of
international appearances for a top-50 country over the previous two years (the
higher the ranking, the fewer the number of matches necessary).
Spanish superstar footballers, for example, may have to get
the same work permits as Brazilians to play in post-Brexit England.
14. Safety at work
EU laws on health and safety at work are often mocked for
being excessive. Employers must make sure workers have information about the
weight and weight distribution of a load before handling it, and they must
organize workstations to make handling as safe as possible. The directive warns
of increased risks if the floor is uneven, the load is unwieldy or the worker
is wearing unsuitable clothing. Without this law, or a similar replacement, is
UK workplace safety in jeopardy?
15. The future of
coloring in
The EU is currently attempting to introduce new measures
limiting the amount of lead allowed in toys and items that may be chewed on by
children. Some British media characterized the proposal as little more than
bureaucrats in Brussels clamping down on coloring pencils and crayons.
According to the European Chemicals Agency, the average lead
content in the blood of European children is up to four times higher than
recommended. EU toy safety regulations are some of the toughest in the world.
It is unclear if the UK will stick to these rules after Brexit.
16. Noisy vehicles
An EU regulation aims to cut down on noise pollution by
ensuring new cars are a little quieter than before. In three stages, it will
ban new four-wheel passenger vehicles that are louder than 77 decibels by 2026,
and vehicles carrying goods will be limited to 79 decibels. It also requires
electric and hybrid cars to make artificial engine noises to avoid accidents,
especially involving pedestrians. The chances of Britain being flooded with
annoyingly noisy vehicles after Brexit seems unlikely, but the country may not
stick to such stringent rules.
17. Trade in torture
instruments
EU member nations are banned from importing items that have
no practical use other than carrying out capital punishment, torture or inhuman
or degrading treatment. Among them are electric chairs and shock belts,
shackles, gallows, guillotines and pepper spray. Revisiting this law could make
for some interesting deliberations in UK Parliament.
18. Brits abroad
At the moment, UK nationals can turn up to an EU country,
flash their passports and be granted freedom of movement within the union. But
once the country pulls out of the EU, this privilege could come to an end.
The government will need to negotiate a deal for its
citizens and will likely try to retain visa-free travel. But the European
Commission may have other ideas -- it currently has a proposal on that table
for a visa waiver system, much like the scheme in the United States, to tighten
screening of all non-EU members entering the EU. This would involve applying
online for a visa ahead of time and paying a small fee to be given access to
the zone.
19. Roaming charges
EU citizens pay relatively low roaming fees for phone calls
and data usage within the EU. And the union is aiming to abolish roaming
charges altogether by June this year.
As outsiders, telecommunications companies will not be
obliged to offer the same low rates to British travelers, and these rates may
come down to what kind of deal the government strikes with the EU.
20. Cost of air
travel
Air travel between EU countries has become much more
affordable since the EU removed several competition barriers, allowing budget
airlines to flourish. But after Brexit, UK airlines such as EasyJet won't be
able to take advantage of these benefits and will need to make new agreements
to operate in EU airspace, according to the Chief Executive of the Civil
Aviation Authority. The impact this could have on prices is unclear.
21. Air passenger
rights
If you're an EU citizen and your flight is canceled or
delayed, or if you're denied boarding against your will, you are entitled to
various forms of compensation under EU law. Even if you're simply seated in a
class lower than you paid for, you can claim up to 75% of the price of the
ticket. After Brexit, UK citizens will no longer have these rights.
22. The 48-hour work
week
Employers are obliged to make sure their employees work no
more than 48 hours a week on average under the EU's Working Time Directive.
Think-tank Open Europe claims that the rule costs the economy £4.2 billion
($5.3 billion) a year. It's still unclear whether the UK government will scrap
the law after Brexit, but the Trades Union Congress (TUC) fears that working
time protections could be weakened.
23. Carers' rights
A landmark 2008 European Court of Justice decision ruled
that non-disabled employees are protected by law if discriminated against on
the basis of their association or care for a disabled person. For example, if
an employer discriminated against a parent caring for a disabled child, the
parent could claim for discrimination. After Brexit, the UK government will be
free to decide on the future of carers' rights in the workplace.
24. Equal pay for
agency workers
The EU has also obliged employers to pay temporary agency
workers at the same rate as permanent employees. The government may choose to
revisit this rule, which Open Europe says costs the economy a further £2.1
billion ($2.6 billion) a year.
25. Part-time
workers' pension
Rulings by the European Court of Justice obliged the UK to
enroll part-time workers in employer pension schemes -- not doing so was seen
as discrimination against women, who work part-time roles in higher numbers. It
is unclear whether the government will reconsider this rule.
26. Annual leave
Under EU law, if you get sick while on annual leave, you can
retake that leave at a later date and even carry it over into the following
year. According to the Local Government Association, this conflicts with UK
law, which doesn't allow employees to carry over leave from one year to the
next. This conflict may mean that this particular EU regulation is scrapped
after Brexit.
27. Gender equality
Under its Strategic Gender Equality plan, the EU allocated
6.17 billion euros ($6.7 billion) between 2014 and 2020 to reach certain
targets, such as reducing the gender pay gap, preventing and combating violence
against women and getting more women involved in science, technology,
engineering and mathematics. The UK government will need to decide how to fill
this funding gap, post-Brexit.
In his 2017 spring budget speech, Chancellor of the
Exchequer Philip Hammond pledged to commit £20 million ($25 million) of
government funding to support a nationwide campaign to stop violence against
women and girls. Hammond also reinstated the controversial "tampon
tax," a 5% tax placed on the sanitary item, which will be used to deliver
an additional £12 million ($15 million) in support of women's charities nationwide,
according to Hammond.
28. Maternity leave
Employers in the EU offer a minimum paid maternity leave of
14 weeks uninterrupted. Under UK law, new mothers in the UK get 52 weeks of
maternity leave, 39 of which are partially paid. Brexit wouldn't likely change the
UK's already generous laws.
29. Erasmus
UK university students currently have access to Erasmus, an
EU student exchange program that allows them to study in another Erasmus
country for three to 12 months. Nearly half of all UK students who travel to
study elsewhere for a short period do so through this scheme. Access to Erasmus
will no longer be automatic and will have to be renegotiated.
30. Recognition of
qualifications
EU citizens who get a professional qualification in one EU
country may work in another safe in the knowledge that their skill -- whether
it be accounting, teaching, beekeeping or wine-tasting -- will be recognized.
It's fairly simple for UK citizens to find work or training
elsewhere in the EU by using the European Qualifications Framework and the
Europass to list their skills and qualifications. These standardized documents
help universities and employers to compare applicants from countries across the
EU. Once Britain has left the EU, UK citizens may not be able to access these
tools and countries may decide not to recognize each other's qualifications
unconditionally.
31. Horizon 2020
A number of UK universities, including Edinburgh,
Manchester, Oxford and Cambridge, have received millions of euros in funding
through Horizon 2020, an EU program that promotes research into topics as
diverse as health and well-being, green transport, outer space and future
technologies.
According to the "white paper" on Brexit, the
government "will work with the European Commission to ensure payment"
when funds are awarded in research programs including Horizon 2020 . It
promised to guarantee such grants, even if projects continue after the UK
leaves the EU. The role of UK universities in future EU-led research programs
remains unclear, however.
32. CO2 Emissions
The UK is part of the EU Emissions Trading System, the
cornerstone of the EU's climate change policy and the world's first and biggest
carbon market. Under the ETS, a cap is set on the total amount of certain
greenhouse gases that can be emitted, and is reduced over time so that total
emissions fall. The system is now in its third phase -- where a single, EU-wide
cap on emissions applies in place of the previous system of national caps. If
the UK leaves the ETS, the EU-wide cap will need to be adjusted and legislation
introduced to keep the UK's CO2 emissions in check.
33. Keeping beaches
clean
Until the 1970s, the UK could legally pump untreated sewage
into the sea. That all changed with the 1975 EU Bathing Water Directive, which
sets the standards for keeping the UK's beach and its waters clean. Although
the British government continued to dump raw sewage into the sea until at least
1991, the EU directive has been successful. In 2015, 99.4% of the coast's
bathing waters met minimum EU standards, according to the European Environment
Agency. The UK will have to draw up new laws on how to keep over 11,000 miles
of the country's coastline clean if it drops the initiative.
34. The air we
breathe
In the UK, pollution levels have generally improved since EU
limits were introduced in 2010. But most main roads in London -- and some areas
in Birmingham, Leeds and Glasgow -- regularly breach legal values for nitrogen
dioxide emissions, a gas produced by diesel engines that causes lung disease
and respiratory problems. The UK and any other offenders are slapped with heavy
fines when this happens -- perhaps an economic incentive for the British
government to amend or drop the 2008 EU directive on ambient air quality.
35. The fate of wild
birds
The EU Wild Birds Directive provides the framework for the
conservation of 500 wild bird species and their habitats in Europe. In the UK,
this is executed through several different laws and regulations that come at
high compliance costs. Andrea Leadsom, the UK's Secretary of State for the
Environment, said only two-thirds of environmental legislation will be directly
retained by the Great Repeal Bill, leaving the future of the rest -- including
measures to conserve birds -- uncertain.
36. Animal welfare
Farm animals kept in the EU must be fed a wholesome diet,
have enough space to move around and be treated immediately if they're sick or
injured, according to one directive. There are around 40 other pieces of EU
legislation that also deal with animal welfare, according to the RSPCA. As the
government has made clear it won't remain in the EU's single market, Parliament
will have to decide which regulations to keep and which to drop.
37. Save the bees
Neonicotinoid pesticides -- used on crops that attract
pollinators -- have been strongly connected to the declining bee population,
and the EU restricted their use in 2013.
Two years later the UK granted farmers an emergency
authorization to use them on oilseed rape seeds. The UK expressed doubts about
the effectiveness of the rules and could alter or drop them after Brexit.
38. Getting treatment
If UK citizens -- eligible for free healthcare under the
National Health Service at home -- get sick or injured in another EU country,
EU law says they can be treated for free and that the UK government must meet
the cost. To access this care, travelers carry a European Health Insurance Card
(EHIC). The law also allows for citizens to travel abroad specifically for the
purpose of getting treatment in another EU country. Whether UK citizens will be
eligible for an EHIC and free healthcare in the EU after Brexit is yet to be
negotiated.
39. Dealing with
pandemics
The EU has an early warning and response system for
potential public health threats, such as the SARS epidemic in 2003. Countries
can easily share information, pool resources for lab investigations and work
together to develop new strategies for future threats. After Brexit, the UK
won't be part of this system and will have to develop other ways of
coordinating with EU countries.
40. EU health program
Through the EU health program, launched in 2014, EU
countries work closely together to combat unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking
and drug and alcohol abuse, by sharing information and good practices. Projects
with these goals can receive up to 80% of their funding from the EU. The UK may
still be eligible to be part of the program after Brexit but membership is not
guaranteed.
41. Disease
prevention and control
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control works
to identify and combat threats to human health from infectious diseases such as
influenza, waterborne diseases and HIV. It makes it easier for organizations
across the EU to share information and expertise.
According to a report by the Royal College of Physicians,
programs managed by the ECDC "could not be effectively fulfilled by national
governments independently." After Brexit, the UK would be excluded from
the ECDC and would need to negotiate a special arrangement to remain a member.
42. Medicine
Under mutual recognition licensing, any medical product
licensed in the UK can be distributed throughout the EU.
At a recent hearing, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt confirmed
that after Brexit the UK won't be part of the European Medicines Agency, the
body responsible for authorizing new medicines, and instead hopes to negotiate
its own form of mutual recognition agreement with the EU.
43. Road safety
Vehicle and road safety is covered by a long list of EU
laws. EU regulations set out safety standards for all kinds of vehicles and
even specify the type of crash protection systems required for vehicles in
order to reduce the number and severity of injuries to pedestrians. After
Brexit, the UK will be responsible for introducing national road and vehicle
safety laws to protect its citizens.
44. 'Passporting' for
the finance industry
A gripe for the finance industry during the Brexit debate
was the possible loss of "passporting" -- the right for UK businesses
to provide financial services anywhere in the EU and the wider European
Economic Area while being based in the UK and regulated by UK authorities.
In the Brexit negotiations, the government could try to
retain this right as part of a new agreement with the EU.
45. Firearms
EU law sets out strict regulations on who can own a firearm
and buy ammunition. Among other things, the law requires EU states to keep a
database of registered firearms and carry out regular checks on license
holders. The law was also designed to make it easier for countries to share
information about firearms and their movements around the EU. After Brexit, the
UK could decide to loosen or tighten these regulations in its own laws.
46. Rules on tobacco
The EU has strict rules on how cigarettes and other tobacco
products can be manufactured, marketed and sold. EU law is behind the large
health warnings on cigarette packets. It will soon prevent extra flavors such
as fruit or menthol being added to tobacco products that could encourage
people, especially young people, to start smoking. Although the UK has strict
tobacco laws of its own, the government will need to clarify where it stands on
EU regulations, such as the ban on menthol cigarettes, which are currently
available widely.
47. Irish dairy
For Irish dairy farmers whose land straddles the border
between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, Brexit could have
significant implications. If a "hard border" is imposed, new import
and export charges could be introduced This could mean big costs: 30% of total
of Irish dairy exports go to the UK.
Farmers who have cows and a bottling plant on one side of
the border, but with the milking equipment on the other side, could be hit with
these import/export taxes if a hard border is introduced. As of now, it's not
clear what will happen to the common travel area that exists between Northern
Ireland, which will remain part of the UK, and the Republic of Ireland, which
will stay in the EU. The British government said that its aim is "to have
as seamless and frictionless a border as possible" in a 77-page
"white paper.
48. The French border
In 2003, the French and UK governments signed the Le Touquet
accord, which allows the UK to check passports in France and effectively
situates the border on French soil. The agreement has nothing to do with EU law
but last March the then French Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron suggested Le
Touquet could end if Britain voted to leave the EU.
Macron also warned that migration to Britain would increase
if it left the EU, including from those who had camped out for months at a camp
in the French city of Calais.
Macron is now a frontrunner in the presidential election,
and he hasn't forgotten his pledge. At a campaign rally in London in February,
he suggested he would try to partly renegotiate the agreement. Softer language
perhaps, but the possibility of a change to border arrangements remains.
49. Keep broadband
affordable
The EU has put in place a set of rules that are intended to
help keep broadband costs down. They oblige governments to clear any legal
obstacles that may hold back network operators from giving telecoms operators
access to their physical infrastructure on reasonable terms and conditions,
including price.
50. New passports
In 1988, dark blue UK passports began to be phased out and
replaced with the common format burgundy passport determined by the European
Community, which later became the EU. These passports are printed with the
words "European Union" above "United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland" on the front. No decisions have yet been taken about any
future UK passport. Responding to a question from a member of Parliament about
the possible return of the blue passport in September 2016, Immigration
Minister Robert Goodwill did not rule it out.
Compiled by Kara Fox
Source:www.cnn.com
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