Policy paper

New Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration

The United Kingdom and European Union have reached an agreement at European Council on the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland’s withdrawal from the European Union. The revised Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration were considered and agreed at European Council on 17 October 2019.

Documents

New Withdrawal Agreement

New Political Declaration

Declaration on consent in Northern Ireland

Statement that political agreement has been reached

Details

The United Kingdom and European Union have reached an agreement at European Council on the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland’s withdrawal from the European Union.

The revised Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration were considered and agreed at European Council on 17 October 2019.

The new Withdrawal Agreement sets out the terms of the UK’s exit from the European Union and European Atomic Energy Community, with changes to the Northern Ireland Protocol to remove the so-called backstop and replace it with arrangements that meet the Government’s objectives.

The new Political Declaration sets out the framework for the future relationship between the European Union and the United Kingdom and reflects the Government’s ambition to conclude an ambitious, broad, deep and flexible partnership across trade and economic cooperation with the EU, with a free trade agreement with the EU at its core, alongside agreements on security and other areas of cooperation.

The declaration by Her Majesty’s Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland relates to the operation of the ‘Democratic consent in Northern Ireland’ provision of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland.

These documents were laid in Parliament on 19 October ahead of the vote in the House of Commons on the deal and consideration in the House of Lords.

A statement that political agreement has been reached was also laid in Parliament on 19 October.

Published 19 October 2019