The UK is currently scheduled to leave the EU at 11pm GMT on 31 January 2020. The UK will then enter a transition period until 31 December 2020, during which the UK and EU will attempt to agree the terms of their future relationship. The European Commission has begun its preparations for these negotiations: its Task Force For Relations with the UK (UKTF) recently commenced a seminar series, for the Council Working Party, to facilitate internal EU27 discussions on the future relationship. The purpose of the seminar series is to prepare for the negotiating directives and to take into account Member States’ views.
The first seminar, on 10 January 2020, looked at “Personal data protection (adequacy decisions); Cooperation and equivalence in financial services”. A second seminar, on 13 January 2020, examined broadly what a Free Trade Agreement approach would entail for a future EU/UK relationship.
The UKTF has indicated that it plans to hold other related seminars in the near future on the following topics:
- Level playing field (14/01/2020)
- Transport (15/01/2020)
- Energy (15/01/2020)
- Mobility of persons (20/01/2020)
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