The European Union (Withdrawal) Bill will convert the entire body of EU law into UK law, with the intention of allowing businesses to continue operating and providing fairness to individuals, knowing the rules have not changed when the UK leaves the EU. This legal certainty must be given to councils too.
Key messages
- The European Union (Withdrawal) Bill will convert the entire body of EU law into UK law, with the intention of allowing businesses to continue operating and providing fairness to individuals, knowing the rules have not changed when the UK leaves the EU. This legal certainty must be given to councils too.
- EU laws impact many of the council services that affect people's day-to-day lives, from protecting people from unsafe food when they eat out to regulating how councils buy goods and services.
- Formal advisory role: Local government has a formal advisory role in the EU law and policy-making process through its membership of the EU Committee of the Regions (CoR). Formally involving local government in law-making has ensured that EU laws are improved by the experience of those at the frontline of delivery. The Prime Minister has made a commitment that the same rules will apply on the day after exit as on the day before. Therefore, the Government needs to replicate this formal advisory role for local government without recreating the institution of the Committee of the Regions.
- The LGA, together with the local government associations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, have been in discussion with the UK Government about how this advisory role might be replicated in UK law. Our shared ambition is to replicate the advisory role of local government in the UK post-exit, without creating new bureaucracies, to help continue our role in good law-making and ensure no deficiency in local government powers. We would encourage the Government to update Parliament on the progress of these discussions as soon as possible.
- Devolution: Former EU powers will start to be reviewed after the Bill is passed. Brexit should not simply mean a transfer of powers from Brussels to Westminster, Holyrood, Stormont and Cardiff Bay. It must lead to new legislative freedoms and flexibilities for councils so that residents and businesses benefit. Taking decisions over how to run local services closer to where people live is key to improving them and saving money.
- EU funding: Continued participation in the Multi-annual Financial Framework 2014-20 is welcome as a short-term solution, but it is now essential that this funding to local areas is fully replaced from 2021. A locally-led successor to EU regional aid is needed to stop an £8.4 billion UK-wide funding gap for local communities opening up at this point.
Read the full briefing
EU (Withdrawal) Bill, Second Reading, House of Lords, 30 & 31 January 2018