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Brexit Bulletin—Foreign Office publishes the ratified Withdrawal Agreement

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has published the ratified Withdrawal Agreement. Sir Tim Barrow, the UK’s Permanent Representative to the EU, deposited the instrument of ratification to the European Council ahead of its adoption (see: ). Completion of these steps, and the addition of the signed Withdrawal Agreement to the FCO Treaty Series marked the final stages in its domestic ratification ahead of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU at 11pm on 31 January 2020.

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Brexit Bulletin—examining the final preparations for exit day

As MEPs gathered in Brussels to approve the Withdrawal Agreement on 29 January 2020, the UK introduced Commencement Orders to bring into force relevant provisions of the legislation implementing and giving effect to the Withdrawal Agreement in domestic law, in preparation for exit day on 31 January 2020. Kieran Laird, partner and head of constitutional affairs in the Gowling WLG Brexit Unit, comments on the final stages of the Withdrawal Agreement ratification and the associated legislation.

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The European Commission has published a Q&A factsheet on the UK’s withdrawal from the EU on 31 January 2020. It includes details on the Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration, the transitional arrangements, the UK’s status and continuing obligations after exit day and preparations for the formal negotiations to agree a ‘new and fair partnership’, among other topics

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The EU’s draft mandate for talks with the UK on the partnership after Brexit is likely to be announced on 3 February 2020 and will allow the 27 remaining EU Member States a three-week period for comments, MLex has learned

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The UK's next phase of Brexit talks will be run by a ‘small and agile’ unit answering to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, his office has said, confirming a long-expected realignment. Johnson, who will make a televised address on 31 January 2020, is expected to lay out the government's detailed negotiating position for the forthcoming trade and security negotiations in early February 2020

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