Brexit Trade Deal: Major changes on key issues

Britain and the European Union on Thursday gave an agreement on their post-Brexit bond after both sides gave spot on some of the thorniest issues.

Saturday, 26th December 2020

Britain and the European Union on Thursday gave an agreement on their post-Brexit bond after both sides gave spot on some of the thorniest issues.

Fishing rights and game rules were the key issues that judges butted heads over right up to the very last minute.

Here's how they settled and what will change. Fishing rights

London and Brussels granted to a five-and-a-half-year development period on fisheries.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson emphasised in a press conference: "We will be an independent coastal state with full control of our waters, with the UK's share of fish in our waters rising mainly from roughly half today to closer to two thirds in five and a half years."

He said the UK had initially tried three years but that the Commission wanted the development period to last 14 years and described the compromise as "sound".

Law enforcement

The deal sets a "new framework for law implementation and judicial cooperation in criminal and civil law matters," the Council said in a statement.

The UK agreed to stay in the European Convention of Human Rights so that colours on both sides of the Channel on the issue continue the same, which it initially didn't want to do.

That means the EU can check security service if it believes the UK is violating the Convention.

The UK will lose way to the Schengen Information System — the most extensive information sharing system for security and border control in Europe — but both sides will share Passenger Name Record — the information given by airlines — and Prum — a cross border database of DNA and fingerprints as well.

The EU also emphasised that the deal on extradition is "unique".

Dispute resolution mechanism

The UK was set it would no longer be under the control of the European Court of Justice, but the EU wanted to keep this in place to secure it could ask for sanctions against Britain if it felt London was undercutting European consumers and markets.

The UK appears to have got its way when it comes to the ECJ, with the deal planning for "binding obligation and dispute agreement mechanisms".

"This means that businesses in the EU and the UK can compete on a level playing field and will withdraw either party using its regulatory autonomy to grant unfair subsidies or distort competition," the Commission said in a statement.

"Both parties can engage in cross*sector punishment in case of violations of the agreement."