Devolved External Affairs: The Impact of Brexit

Brexit will have significant political and institutional implications for the external affairs of the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This is a consequence of the devolution of power that has taken place within the UK since it joined the EU.

Recommendations

+ Alongside invoking Article 50 of the Treaty of the European Union, the UK government should undertake a review of which EU competences are to be returned to the devolved administrations under current constitutional arrangements.
+ The JMC mechanism for inter-governmental decision-making should be revised for the challenge of negotiating Brexit as well as for representing UK-wide interests afterwards. The revised forum should have an agreed timetable of meetings, enough time to address complex issues, and opportunities for ‘parity of esteem’ between the UK government and devolved administrations.
+ The devolved administrations should further develop their positions and infrastructure for representing their interests directly to the EU and member states after Brexit.

• Primary Source

Chatham House: Publications: Devolved External Affairs: The Impact of Brexit, February 2017 https://www.chathamhouse.org/publication/devolved-external-affairs-impact-brexit

ESO: Background information: Meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee (EU Negotiations), Cardiff, 30 January 2017 - Joint Ministerial Committee communiqué: 30 January 2017 http://www.europeansources.info/record/meeting-of-the-joint-ministerial-committee-eu-negotiations-cardiff-30-january-2017-joint-ministerial-committee-communique-30-january-2017/

ESO: In Focus: Brexit - The United Kingdom and the European Union http://www.europeansources.info/record/brexit-the-united-kingdom-and-the-european-union/

The Conversation, 10.02.17: How devolution makes Brexit even more complicated https://theconversation.com/how-devolution-makes-brexit-even-more-complicated-72772

Blog: UK in a Changing Europe, 09.02.17: The two Union challenge: devolution and Brexit will create a different future for the UK’s external affairs http://ukandeu.ac.uk/the-two-union-challenge-devolution-and-brexit-will-create-a-different-future-for-the-uks-external-affairs/

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