Post-Brexit trade deal signed into UK law

December 31, 2020 9:30 am

epa07798883 (FILE) - Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks at a press conference at the G7 summit in Biarritz, France, 26 August 2019 (reissued 28 August 2019). According to reports, British government has formally requested the intervention of the Queen in a bid to suspend parliament. A government source said the government's intention is to suspend parliament and hold a Queen's speech 14 October, setting out the future plans of a post-Brexit government. EPA-EFE/NEIL HALL

The post-Brexit trade bill has received royal assent from Queen Elizabeth II, making it officially a law in Britain.

Lindsay Hoyle, house of commons speaker, broke the news in the early hours of Thursday.

The legislation, officially called the European Union (Future Relationship) Act 2020, sets out the trade rules between Britain and the bloc from January 1.

The bill was presented to the British parliament on Wednesday where elected lawmakers in the house of commons voted 521 to 73 – a majority of 448 – in support of the deal.

It then received an unopposed third reading in the house of lords after nearly eight hours of debate.

Shortly after the result, the Queen gave it her official stamp of approval.

Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, and Charles Michel, European Council chief, put their ink on the agreement on Wednesday morning and Johnson followed several hours later at 1600 GMT.

“It has been a long road. It’s time now to put Brexit behind us. Our future is made in Europe,” von der Leyen said in a Twitter post after the signing ceremony.

Today, @eucopresident and I signed the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

Prime Minister @BorisJohnson will sign it later today in London.

It has been a long road. It’s time now to put Brexit behind us.
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Our future is made in Europe. pic.twitter.com/fjybWryJNY

— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) December 30, 2020

Michel hailed the signing of the agreement as the beginning of different trade relations with London.

“New chapter, new relationship,” Michel said.

Commenting on the approval from the house of lords, Prime Minister Boris Johnson thanked lawmakers and peers for passing the post-Brexit trade deal.

“The destiny of this great country now resides firmly in our hands,” Johnson said.

“We take on this duty with a sense of purpose and with the interests of the British public at the heart of everything we do.

“11p.m. on December 31 marks a new beginning in our country’s history and a new relationship with the EU as their biggest ally.

“This moment is finally upon us and now is the time to seize it. And it’s an excellent deal for this country but also for our friends and partners.”

The 27 EU ambassadors gave their go-ahead for the provisional application on Tuesday afternoon.

The deal, which provides for zero tariffs and zero quotas between the trading partners, still needs to be ratified by the European parliament.

The EU proposed a period of provisional application until February 28, but this may be extended as the lawmakers are scheduled to give their approval in March.