Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent North)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the Answer of 1 February 2018 to Question 125248 on trade agreements, whether the 20 EU-Switzerland joint committees to oversee bilateral agreements will be replicated by UK-Switzerland joint committees.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
As the Secretary of State made clear in his speech in Teesside last month, the existing international agreements we are party to should continue to apply during the implementation period.
Once the implementation period ends, we will no longer be participants in the EU's international agreements. We will continue to work with third countries, including Switzerland, to agree how best to ensure continuity beyond the Implementation Period.
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent North)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to his Answer of 1 February to Question 125248 on Trade Agreements, whether the continuity for business, investors and consumers will include UK membership of the (a) European Free Trade Association and (b) European Economic Area Joint Committee in order to maintain economic relations with Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
The UK is not currently a member of the European Free Trade Area (EFTA). We have no plans to join EFTA.
During the implementation period, the existing international agreements to which we are a party should continue to apply, including the EEA Agreement which governs crucial elements of our trading and non-trading relationship with the EEA EFTA states.
Once the implementation period ends, we will no longer be participants in the EU's international agreements, including the EEA Agreement. We will instead seek to put in place new arrangements to maintain our relationship with these states.
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent North)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the Answer of 26 January 2018 to Question 125209 on Trade Agreements, whether an agreement to maintain the EU free trade arrangements with Switzerland will require the maintenance of provisions for the free movement of people.
Answered by Robin Walker
We will be seeking, wherever possible, to secure continuity with third countries as we withdraw from the EU.
During the implementation period, the existing international agreements we are party to should continue to apply, including the EEA Agreement, Swiss- EU bilaterals and other agreements which govern the crucial elements of our trading and non-trading relationship with the EFTA states of Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. We have said that people should be able to continue to live, work and visit the UK during the implementation period but there will be a registration system in preparation for our future immigration regime.
Once the implementation period ends, we will no longer participate in these agreements and will need to put in place new arrangements with these countries. After we leave we will put in place an immigration system which works in the best interests of the whole of the UK. The UK will remain open for business; a country which recognises the valuable contribution migrants make to our society and welcomes those with the skills and expertise to make our nation better still.
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent North)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the Answer of 31 January 2018 to Question 125209 on trade agreements, whether in maintaining the effects of existing EU free trade agreements with Norway, the UK will maintain the existing provisions for free movement.
Answered by Robin Walker
We will be seeking, wherever possible, to secure continuity with third countries as we withdraw from the EU.
During the implementation period, the existing international agreements we are party to should continue to apply, including the EEA Agreement, Swiss- EU bilaterals and other agreements which govern the crucial elements of our trading and non-trading relationship with the EFTA states of Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. We have said that people should be able to continue to live, work and visit the UK during the implementation period but there will be a registration system in preparation for our future immigration regime.
Once the implementation period ends, we will no longer participate in these agreements and will need to put in place new arrangements with these countries. After we leave we will put in place an immigration system which works in the best interests of the whole of the UK. The UK will remain open for business; a country which recognises the valuable contribution migrants make to our society and welcomes those with the skills and expertise to make our nation better still.
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent North)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether notified bodies in the UK will carry out conformity assessments for products exported from the UK to the EU after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Robin Walker
As set out in the Government’s August 2017 position paper ‘Continuity in the availability of goods for the EU and the UK’, we want compliance activity, including conformity assessments, carried out prior to exit to be recognised in both the UK and the EU to support a smooth exit and the move to a deep and special future relationship. We want our future relationship to to build on the convergence between our regulatory systems and gives business the maximum freedom to trade with and operate within European markets. However, the approach to conformity assessments and other compliance activity is a matter for future negotiations, and it would not be appropriate to prejudge the outcome of those negotiations.