FishRook
The EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (“TCA“) overcame its final political obstacle in the last few weeks, when the European Parliament approved it by a large majority. However, the practical hurdles to be overcome in order to implement it are only now becoming clear.
The approval of the TCA was the culmination of months of discussion in the European Parliament regarding the timing of its adoption. The UK Parliament had already given effect to the TCA’s provisions in December 2020. On the EU side, the Council, acting on behalf of all 27 EU Member States adopted the decision allowing the signature of the TCA and its provisional application in January 2021, but the European Parliament and the Council were still required to ratify it.
The European Parliament vote resolves the legal uncertainty regarding the TCA, which aims to create a free trade area between the EU and the UK for goods and services and establishes preferential measures in areas such as consumer rights,…
