| Author (Corporate) | United Kingdom: House of Commons: Library |
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| Series Title | Debate Pack |
| Series Details | No.148/2017 (17.07.17) |
| Publication Date | 17/07/2017 |
| Content Type | Journal | Series | Blog |
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This Debate Pack was prepared for the general debate on 'Exiting the European Union and sanctions', to be held in the main chamber of the House of Commons on 19 July 2017. Many of the legal powers that allow the UK to impose and implement sanctions flow from the 1972 European Communities Act (ECA). The previous Conservative government took the view that new legal powers will be required once the ECA has been repealed. The Queen’s Speech in June 2017 confirmed that an ‘International Sanctions Bill’ would be tabled during the extended 2017-19 parliamentary session. The main benefits of the International Sanctions Bill would be: + To ensure that, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, the UK continues to play a central role in negotiating global sanctions to counter threats of terrorism, conflict and the proliferation of nuclear weapons, as well as bringing about changes in behaviour. + To return decision-making powers on non-UN sanctions to the UK. + To enable the UK’s continued compliance with international law after the UK’s exit from the EU. The main elements of the Bill will be to provide a domestic legislative framework to allow the Government to: + impose sanctions to ensure compliance with obligations under international law after the UK’s exit from the EU. These include asset freezes, travel bans and trade and market restrictions; + ensure individuals and organisations can challenge or request a review of the sanctions imposed on them; + exempt or license certain types of activity, such as payments for food and medicine, which would otherwise be restricted by sanctions; + amend regulations for anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing and to pass new ones after the UK’s exit from the EU. Repeal of the ECA was to be done via the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill, which was published on 13 July 2017. The Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Bill was introduced in the House of the Lords on the 18 October 2017. Further information about the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Bill The Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Bill introduced in October 2017 would, if adopted*, ensure that when the UK left the EU, it could continue to impose, update, and lift sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) regimes. * The Bill received the Royal assent on 23 May 2018. |
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| Source Link | http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CDP-2017-0148/CDP-2017-0148.pdf |
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| Countries / Regions | United Kingdom |
