REX December Section meeting on EU-UK relations

The upcoming meeting of the Section for External Relations, which will take place on 20 December 2022, will be dedicated to EU-UK relations.

The EU-UK Follow-up Committee, a working body of the European Economic and Social Committee, was set up in March 2021, primarily to maintain and strengthen relations between UK and EU civil society organisations, and to monitor implementation of the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement.

In support of its mandate, a Delegation of the EU-UK Follow-up Committee carried out a fact-finding mission to the four parts of the United Kingdom in October 2022, with the aim of assessing implementation of the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement, including the state of play of citizens' rights and of the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland. The other main purpose of the mission was to assess the prospects for improving links between civil society organisations in the UK and the EU. To this end, the Delegation engaged with representatives of employer associations, trade unions, and third-sector civil society organisations from across the UK, as well as with representatives of public authorities.

Based on these meetings with various stakeholders, the EU-UK Follow-up Committee drew up an Information Report on the implementation of the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement to feed into the political dialogue between the EU and UK, as well as to promote a joint reflection on their future relationship.

At this meeting, the Information Report will be discussed and adopted, providing a timely and relevant opportunity for an exchange of views on post‑Brexit issues, including those arising from the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement and the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland.