Political Declaration
POLITICAL DECLARATION SETTING OUT THE FRAMEWORK FOR THE FUTURE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN UNION AND THE UNITED KINGDOM
INTRODUCTION
1.
The European Union, hereafter referred to as “the Union”, and the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland, hereafter referred to as “the United Kingdom”, ("the Parties”)
have agreed this political declaration on their future relationship, on the basis that Article
50(2) of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) provides for the negotiation of an agreement
setting out the arrangements for the withdrawal of a departing Member State, taking account
of the framework for its future relationship with the Union. In that context, this declaration
accompanies the Withdrawal Agreement that has been endorsed by the Parties, subject to
ratification.
2.
The Union and United Kingdom are determined to work together to safeguard the rules-based
international order, the rule of law and promotion of democracy, and high standards of free
and fair trade and workers’ rights, consumer and environmental protection, and cooperation
against internal and external threats to their values and interests.
3.
In that spirit, this declaration establishes the parameters of an ambitious, broad, deep and
flexible partnership across trade and economic cooperation, law enforcement and criminal
justice, foreign policy, security and defence and wider areas of cooperation. Where the Parties
consider it to be in their mutual interest during the negotiations, the future relationship may
encompass areas of cooperation beyond those described in this political declaration. This
relationship will be rooted in the values and interests that the Union and the United Kingdom
share. These arise from their geography, history and ideals anchored in their common
European heritage. The Union and the United Kingdom agree that prosperity and security are
enhanced by embracing free and fair trade, defending individual rights and the rule of law,
protecting workers, consumers and the environment, and standing together against threats to
rights and values from without or within.
4.
The future relationship will be based on a balance of rights and obligations, taking into
account the principles of each Party. This balance must ensure the autonomy of the Union’s
decision making and be consistent with the Union’s principles, in particular with respect to
the integrity of the Single Market and the Customs Union and the indivisibility of the four
freedoms. It must also ensure the sovereignty of the United Kingdom and the protection of its
internal market, while respecting the result of the 2016 referendum including with regard to
the development of its independent trade policy and the ending of free movement of people
between the Union and the United Kingdom.
5.
The period of the United Kingdom’s membership of the Union has resulted in a high level of
integration between the Union’s and the United Kingdom’s economies, and an interwoven
past and future of the Union’s and the United Kingdom’s people and priorities. The future
relationship will inevitably need to take account of this unique context. While it cannot
amount to the rights or obligations of membership, the Parties are agreed that the future
relationship should be approached with high ambition with regard to its scope and depth, and
recognise that this might evolve over time. Above all, it should be a relationship that will
work in the interests of citizens of the Union and the United Kingdom, now and in the future.
PART I: INITIAL PROVISIONS
I. BASIS FOR COOPERATION
A. Core values and rights
6.
The Parties agree that the future relationship should be underpinned
by shared values such as
the respect for and safeguarding of human rights and fundamental
freedoms, democratic
principles, the rule of law and support for non-proliferation. The
Parties agree that these
values are an essential prerequisite for the cooperation envisaged
in this framework. The
Parties also reaffirm their commitment to promoting effective
multilateralism
7.
The future relationship should incorporate the United Kingdom's continued commitment to
respect the framework of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), while the
Union and its Member States will remain bound by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the
European Union, which reaffirms the rights as they result in particular from the ECHR.
B. Data protection
8.
In view of the importance of data flows and exchanges across the future relationship, the
Parties are committed to ensuring a high level of personal data protection to facilitate such
flows between them.
9.
The Union's data protection rules provide for a framework allowing the European
Commission to recognise a third country’s data protection standards as providing an adequate
level of protection, thereby facilitating transfers of personal data to that third country. On the
basis of this framework, the European Commission will start the assessments with respect to
the United Kingdom as soon as possible after the United Kingdom's withdrawal,
endeavouring to adopt decisions by the end of 2020, if the applicable conditions are met.
Noting that the United Kingdom will be establishing its own international transfer regime, the
United Kingdom will in the same timeframe take steps to ensure the comparable facilitation
of transfers of personal data to the Union, if the applicable conditions are met. The future
relationship will not affect the Parties' autonomy over their respective personal data protection
rules.
10.
In this context, the Parties should also make arrangements for appropriate cooperation
between regulators.
II. AREAS OF SHARED INTEREST
A. Participation in Union programmes
11.
Noting the intended breadth and depth of the future relationship and the close bond between
their citizens, the Parties will establish general principles, terms and conditions for the United
Kingdom’s participation in Union programmes, subject to the conditions set out in the
corresponding Union instruments, in areas such as science and innovation, youth, culture and
education, overseas development and external action, defence capabilities, civil protection and
space. These should include a fair and appropriate financial contribution, provisions allowing
for sound financial management by both Parties, fair treatment of participants, and
management and consultation appropriate to the nature of the cooperation between the Parties.
12.
The Parties will also explore the participation of the United Kingdom to the European
Research Infrastructure Consortiums (ERICs), subject to the conditions of the Union legal
instruments and individual ERIC statutes, and taking into account the level of participation of
the United Kingdom in Union programmes on science and innovation.
13.
The Parties recall their shared commitment to delivering a future PEACE PLUS programme
to sustain work on reconciliation and a shared future in Northern Ireland, maintaining the
current funding proportions for the future programme.
B. Dialogues
14.
The Parties should engage in dialogue and exchanges in areas of shared interest, with the view
to identifying opportunities to cooperate, share best practice and expertise, and act together,
including in areas such as culture, education, science and innovation. In these areas, the
Parties recognise the importance of mobility and temporary movement of objects and
equipment in enabling cooperation. The Parties will also explore ongoing cooperation
between culture and education related groups.
15.
In addition, the Parties note the United Kingdom's intention to explore options for a future
relationship with the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group.
PART II: ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP
I. OBJECTIVES AND PRINCIPLES
16.
The Parties recognise that they have a particularly important trading and investment
relationship, reflecting more than 45 years of economic integration during the United
Kingdom's membership of the Union, the sizes of the two economies and their geographic
proximity, which have led to complex and integrated supply chains.
17.
Against this backdrop, the Parties agree to develop an ambitious, wide-ranging and balanced
economic partnership. This partnership will be comprehensive, encompassing a free trade area
as well as wider sectoral cooperation where it is in the mutual interest of both Parties. It will
be underpinned by provisions ensuring a level playing field for open and fair competition, as
set out in Section XIV of this Part. It should facilitate trade and investment between the
Parties to the extent possible, while respecting the integrity of the Union's Single Market and
the Customs Union as well as the United Kingdom's internal market, and recognising the
development of an independent trade policy by the United Kingdom beyond this economic
partnership.
18.
The Parties will retain their autonomy and the ability to regulate economic activity according
to the levels of protection each deems appropriate in order to achieve legitimate public policy
objectives such as public health, animal health and welfare, social services, public education,
safety, the environment including climate change, public morals, social or consumer
protection, privacy and data protection, and promotion and protection of cultural diversity.
The economic partnership will recognise that sustainable development is an overarching
objective of the Parties. The economic partnership will also provide for appropriate general
exceptions, including in relation to security.
19.
The Parties recall their determination to replace the backstop solution on Northern Ireland by
a subsequent agreement that establishes alternative arrangements for ensuring the absence of a
hard border on the island of Ireland on a permanent footing.