Policy paper

Separation Agreement Joint Committee annual report 2021

Published 22 June 2022

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Report from the Secretariat to the Joint Committee on the functioning of the Agreement on arrangements between Iceland, the Principality of Liechtenstein, the Kingdom of Norway and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland following the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, the EEA Agreement and other agreements applicable between the United Kingdom and the EEA EFTA States by virtue of the United Kingdom’s membership of the European Union (The Separation Agreement) for the calendar year 2021.

Introduction

  1. The Separation Agreement established a Joint Committee (Article 65) to supervise and facilitate the implementation and application of the Agreement. The Separation Agreement requires the Joint Committee to issue an annual report, drawn up by the Secretariat, each calendar year. This report is provided pursuant to Article 65(6).

  2. The Secretariat to the Joint Committee operates under the authority of the rotating Joint Committee Chair to perform the tasks conferred on it, as outlined in the Rules of Procedure of the Joint Committee. The Secretariat is composed of officials from Her Majesty’s Government of the United Kingdom and the EFTA Secretariat.

  3. The Separation Agreement requires the Joint Committee to meet at least once a year after the end of the transition period as defined in Article 2(h). In 2021, the Joint Committee met once, on 27 May 2021. The meeting was chaired by an official of the Government of Iceland. Although not covered by this report, it is noted that the Joint Committee also met once before the end of the transition period, on 18 December 2020. That meeting was chaired by a representative of Her Majesty’s Government of the United Kingdom.

  4. This report provides an overview of Separation Agreement activity from the end of the transition period, on 31 December 2020, until 31 December 2021.

  5. The report contains 3 annexes:

(A) The full text of the Joint Committee Decision adopted in 2021

(B) The Joint Statement issued by the Parties following the meeting of the Joint Committee in 2021; and

(C) Reports by the Independent Monitoring Authority and the EFTA Surveillance Authority, respectively, issued pursuant to Article 64(3) of the Separation Agreement

Separation Agreement Joint Committee activity in 2021

6. The Joint Committee met on 27 May 2021. Iceland chaired the meeting. Given constraints due to movement restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting was held by video conference.

7. At the meeting, representatives from Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and the United Kingdom gave updates on their implementation and application of the Separation Agreement, with a particular emphasis on the provisions relating to citizens’ rights. Both the EEA EFTA States and the United Kingdom agreed that implementation of the Agreement was going well and that citizens’ rights remain a priority.

8. Representatives of the Independent Monitoring Authority and the EFTA Surveillance Authority also attended, presenting information on the monitoring of the implementation and application of the Separation Agreement.

9. The Joint Committee adopted one Decision (No 1/2021), amending Part I of Annex I to the Separation Agreement. The amendment was adopted pursuant to Article 34(3) of the Separation Agreement to reflect any new Decision or Recommendation which has been adopted by the Administrative Commission for the Coordination of Social Security Systems (“Administrative Commission”) and which has been incorporated into and is in force under the EEA Agreement.

10. The EEA EFTA States and the United Kingdom noted at the meeting that they shared the objective of ensuring the continued correct implementation and application of the Separation Agreement, to provide certainty to citizens. A Joint Statement to this effect was issued by the Parties following the meeting of the Joint Committee.

Conclusion

11. The Joint Committee’s actions and Decision during 2021 provide a solid foundation for ongoing cooperation between the EEA EFTA States and the United Kingdom and the continued proper implementation of the Separation Agreement.

Signed in London, 8 June 2022

For the Joint Committee

The Chair

Pascal Schafhauser

Ambassador, Mission of Liechtenstein to the EU

Annex A: decision no.1/2021 of the Joint Committee

Separation Agreement Joint Committee decision 1/2021: social security coordination between the UK, EU and EFTA states

Annex B: joint statement of 27 May 2021

Separation Agreement Joint Committee between the United Kingdom and the EEA EFTA states: joint statement from the second meeting

Annex C: reports by the Independent Monitoring Authority and the EFTA Surveillance Authority for 2021

The Independent Monitoring Authority (IMA) annual report for 2021 to the Specialised Committee and Joint Committee is available to download from the IMA publications page.

The EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) annual report for 2021 to the Separation Agreement Joint Committee is available to download (along with its Annex 1 and Annex 2) from the ESA annual reports page.

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