The United Kingdom (U.K.) voted to leave the European Union
(EU) in 2016 and officially left on 1 February 2020 after both sides had
concluded a Withdrawal Agreement which facilitated an orderly departure. This
Agreement includes chapters on Citizens' Rights, the Financial Settlement,
other separation issues, and the Protocol on Northern Ireland.
The Agreement also provided for a transitional period
which gave national administrations, businesses, and citizens time to prepare
for the changes expected from 1 January 2021. During this 11-month period,
although the U.K. had formally left the Union, was still bound by EU rules. This
transitional period was also an opportunity for both parties to engage in
negotiations on the terms that would regulate their future relationship. In
this respect, a deal on the future partnership was agreed on 24 December 2020,
whereby the European Commission and the United Kingdom agreed in principle on
the:
- Trade
and Cooperation Agreement;
- Agreement
concerning security procedures for exchanging and protecting classified
information; and
- Agreement
for cooperation on the safe and peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
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