UK-EU relations: Lords quiz Gove and Frost on Northern Ireland Protocol and Brexit ‘unfinished business’
Monday 8 February 2021
Tomorrow, the House of Lords EU Committee will question the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and the UK’s Chief Negotiator on the final Brexit deal (known as the TCA), and recent tensions over the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland.
The Committee will examine the political fallout from the EU’s abortive attempt to invoke the safeguard mechanism in Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol over COVID vaccines, the mechanisms for governance, arbitration and dispute resolution of the UK/EU relationship in the TCA, and the outstanding issues in the future relationship that still need to be resolved.
The evidence session will take place from 4.30pm on Tuesday 9 February and can be viewed on: Parliament TV.
Witnesses:
- Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
- Lord Frost, Prime Minister’s Representative for Brexit and International Policy, and Head, Number 10 International Policy Unit
- Lindsay Croisdale-Appleby CMG, Head of the UK Mission to the EU
- Matthew Taylor, Director General, Task Force Europe
Questions likely to be asked in the session include:
UK-EU relations
- How would you assess the current state of UK-EU relations?
- How will the Government engage with the new UK/EU Partnership Council and governance bodies, and who will represent the UK (and the EU) on them?
- What elements of the future UK-EU relationship remain outstanding? What is the process and timetable for them to be addressed?
- The Government has indicated its intention to participate in the Horizon, Copernicus and Euratom Research and Training programmes. How were these decisions reached? What role did value for money play in them?
- Are there any bespoke or innovative features in the dispute resolution and arbitration provisions in the TCA?
- What support is the Government providing to Parliament in establishing a Parliamentary Partnership Assembly with the European Parliament?
The Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland
- What is your assessment of the Commission’s attempt to invoke the safeguard mechanism in Article 16 of the Protocol over COVID vaccine exports?
- What aspects of the Protocol’s operation are proving most challenging for business and citizens?
- What practical impact has the agreement of the TCA had on the operation of the Protocol?
- How will the Government facilitate parliamentary scrutiny of the operation of the Protocol?
