| dc.description.abstract | Since 1 February 2020, the United Kingdom has withdrawn from the European Union and has become a “third country”.1The Withdrawal Agreement2provides for a transition period ending on 31 December 2020. Until that date, EU law in its entirety applies to and in the United Kingdom.3During 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, if concluded,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,4in the EU Customs Union, and in the VAT and excise duty area.Moreover, after the end of the transition period the United Kingdom will be a third country as regards the implementation and application of EU law in the EU Member States. Therefore, all interested parties, and especially economic operators, are reminded of the legal situation after the end of the transition period. |
