Since 1 February 2020, the United Kingdom has withdrawn from the European Union and has become a ‘third country’. The Withdrawal Agreement
provides for a transition period ending on 31 December 2020.3 Until that date, EU law in its entirety applies to and in the United Kingdom.
During the transition period, the EU and the United Kingdom will negotiate an agreement on a new partnership, providing notably for a free trade area. However, it is not certain whether such an agreement will enter into force at the end of the transition period. In any event, such an agreement would create a relationship which in terms of market access conditions will be very different from the United Kingdom’s participation in the internal market, in the EU Customs Union, and in the VAT and excise duty area. Therefore, all interested parties, and especially economic operators, are reminded of the legal situation as of the end of the transition period (Part A below). This notice also explains certain relevant separation provisions of the Withdrawal Agreement (Part B
below), as well as the rules applicable to Northern Ireland as of the end of the transition period (Part C below).
Source European Commission
