Robust legal oversight of EU-UK trade relationship vital
Ibec, the group that represents Irish business, today welcomed the recognition by the UK that robust legal oversight would be needed to govern future EU-UK relations post-Brexit. The group said the future EU-UK relationship should be as ambitious as possible, but also needed to ensure legal certainty for companies trading across borders, maintain the integrity of the Single Market and safeguard fair competition. To facilitate the closest possible EU-UK economic relationship, avoid unnecessary duplication and provide legal consistency, the European Court of Justice should play as significant a role as possible in the governance of cross-border European trade post-Brexit.
Responding to a new UK Brexit position paper on enforcement and dispute resolution post-Brexit, Ibec Director of EU and International Affairs Pat Ivory said: "The future relationship between the EU and UK will require comprehensive governance structures. Business needs legal certainty and a predictable regulatory environment in which to operate. Setting up any new system will be complex and take time, which reinforces the need for a long transition period before any new arrangements take effect.
"A uniform legal approach to many areas of regulation and competition law across the EU means companies compete on a level playing field. A UK outside of the EU could seek to change domestic law to give UK companies extra advantages in the market. Any agreement on future EU-UK trade relations must include comprehensive, legally enforceable commitments to ensure fair competition."