About the Inquiry
An inquiry to monitor and scrutinise the negotiations of the future relationship between the European Union and the UK Government and their implications for Scotland.
Evidence
EU-UK Trade and Co-Operation Agreement
The European Commission and UK Government reached a trade and co-operation agreement on 24 December 2020. The Committee agreed to scrutinise the impact of the trade and co-operation agreement on key sectors of the Scottish economy and took evidence from stakeholders on the following dates:
4 March 2021
The Committee took evidence from:
- Stephen Phillips, Partner, CMS;
- Professor Andrea Nolan, Principal, Edinburgh Napier University and Convener, Universities Scotland International Committee;
- William Bain, Trade Policy Adviser, British Retail Consortium;
and then from:
- Michael Russell, Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, Europe and External Affairs, David Barnes, Deputy Director, EU Exit Strategy and Negotiations, and Lewis Hedge, Head of Regulatory Cooperation and Cross-Border Trade, Scottish Government.
Papers for meeting on 4 March 2021 (185KB pdf)
Official Report of meeting on 4 March 2021
Follow-Up Correspondence from Meeting of 4 March 2021
Following the meeting on 4 March 2021, the Committee agreed to write to Lord Frost, Minister of State, Cabinet Office, UK Government on issues raised during the meeting and during the Committee's previous evidence sessions:
The British Retail Consortium wrote to the Convener on 23 March 2021 with follow-up information from the meeting on 4 March 2021:
The Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, Europe and External Affairs wrote to the Convener on 24 March 2021 with follow-up information from the meeting on 4 March 2021:
25 February 2021
The Committee took evidence from:
- David McAllister MEP, Chair, UK Coordination Group in the European Parliament;
and then from:
- Dr Richard Torbett, Chief Executive, Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry;
- Dr Darren Budd, Managing Director, UK and Ireland, BASF Ltd.
Papers for meeting on 25 February 2021 (285KB pdf)
Official Report of meeting on 25 February 2021
Follow-Up Correspondence from Meeting of 25 February 2021
Following the meeting on 25 February 2021, the Committee agreed to write to the UK Government's Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in relations to issues raised during the meeting:
The Chief Executive of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry wrote to the Convener on 3 March 2021 with follow-up information from the meeting on 25 February 2021:
18 February 2021
The Committee took evidence from:
- Paul Sheerin, Chief Executive Officer, Scottish Engineering;
- Martin Reid, Director of Scotland and Northern Ireland, Road Haulage Association;
and then from:
- Mark Thomson, Resilience and Community Safety Manager, Dumfries and Galloway Council;
- Mags Simpson, Head of Policy, Scotland and North, Logistics UK.
Papers for meeting on 18 February 2021 (293KB pdf)
Written Submission from Logistics UK (245KB pdf)
Official Report of meeting on 18 February 2021
Follow-Up Correspondence from Meeting of 18 February 2021
Following the meeting on 18 February 2021, the Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government and the UK Government's Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in relations to issues raised during the meeting:
The Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, Europe and External Affairs replied to the Convener's letter on 8 March 2021:
11 February 2021
The Committee took evidence from:
- Elspeth Macdonald, Chief Executive Officer, Scottish Fishermen's Federation;
- Jimmy Buchan, Chief Executive Officer, Scottish Seafood Association.
Papers for meeting on 11 February 2021 (755KB pdf)
Official Report of meeting on 11 February 2021
4 February 2021
The Committee took evidence from:
- Charlie Adam, Vice President, NFU Scotland; and
- James Withers, Chief Executive, Scotland Food and Drink.
Papers for meeting on 4 February 2021 (192KB pdf)
Official Report of meeting on 4 February 2021
Follow-Up Correspondence from Meeting of 4 February 2021
Following the evidence session on 4 February 2021, the Committee agreed to write to the UK Government's Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on issues raised during the evidence session:
The UK Government's Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs replied to the Convener's letter to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 22 March 2021:
Other Trade and Co-Operation Agreement Correspondence
European Union (Future Relationship) Bill - Legislative Consent Memorandum
The Committee took evidence on a legislative consent memorandum in relation to the European Union (Future Relationship) Bill on Wednesday 30 December 2020 from:
-
Michael Russell, Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, Europe and External Affairs, Mike Neilson, Head of EU Directorate, Gerald Byrne, Team Leader, Constitution Policy, and Graham Fisher, Interim Deputy Director, Legal Directorate - Constitutional and Civil Law, Scottish Government.
Papers for meeting on 30 December 2020 (416KB pdf)
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the European Union (Future Relationship) Bill (530KB pdf)
Following the evidence session, the Committee agreed the following response to the legislative consent memorandum:
Committee Report
The Committee's report, EU-UK Government Future Relationship Negotiations: The Impact of the End of the Transition Period, was published on Friday 11 December 2020:
Oral Evidence
Oral Evidence: November and December 2020
15 December 2020: UK Government
The Committee took evidence from Rt Hon Michael Gove, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, Jess Glover, Director General, Transition Taskforce, Brendan Threlfall, Director, Transition Task Force Northern Ireland, and Emma Churchill, Director, Border and Protocol Delivery Group, UK Government.
19 November 2020: Scottish Government
The Committee took evidence from Michael Russell, Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, Europe and External Affairs, Alan Johnston, Deputy Director, EU Exit Readiness, and David Barnes, Head of EU Exit Strategy and Negotiations, Scottish Government.
12 November 2020: Sectoral Stakeholders (2)
The Committee took evidence from:
- Charlie Adam, Vice President, NFU Scotland;
- John Davidson, Strategy and External Relations Director, Scotland Food and Drink;
- Elspeth Macdonald, Chief Executive Officer, Scottish Fishermen's Federation;
- Jimmy Buchan, Chief Executive, Scottish Seafood Association;
and then from:
- Stephen Phillips, Partner, CMS;
- Allie Renison, Head of EU and Trade Policy, Institute of Directors;
- Wendy Alexander, Vice Principal (International), University of Dundee, Universities Scotland.
Papers for meeting on 12 November 2020 (400KB pdf)
Official Report of meeting on 12 November 2020
The following written submissions were received for this meeting:
The Scottish Parliament Information Centre produced briefings on agriculture, fisheries, food and drink, business, financial services and universities for this meeting:
5 November 2020: Sectoral Stakeholders (1)
The Committee took evidence from:
- Paul Sheerin, Chief Executive Officer, Scottish Engineering;
- Rod McKenzie, Managing Director of Policy and Public Affairs, Road Haulage Association;
and then from:
- Dr Richard Torbett, Chief Executive, Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry;
- Richard Carter, Managing Director, UK and Ireland, BASF Ltd.
Papers for meeting on 5 November 2020 (530KB pdf)
Official Report of meeting on 5 November 2020
The following written submissions were received for this meeting:
The Committee's Adviser on EU Constitutional Law, Dr Fabian Zuleeg, produced the following paper on the current position of the future relationship negotiations for this meeting:
The Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) produced briefings on chemicals, energy, engineering, pharmaceuticals and road haulage for this meeting:
Oral Evidence: September 2020
24 September 2020: Internal Market
The Committee took evidence from Professor Catherine Barnard, Professor of European Union and Labour Law, University of Cambridge; Professor Michael Dougan, Professor of European Law and Jean Monnet Chair in EU Law, University of Liverpool; and Professor Michael Keating, Director, Centre on Constitutional Change.
The following written submissions for this meeting were received:
The Committee's adviser on EU constitutional law, Dr Fabian Zuleeg, produced a paper on the key features of the European single market and the UK Internal Market Bill for this meeting:
Following the evidence session on 24 September, the Convener wrote to the Convener of the Finance and Constitution Committee in relation to the UK Government Internal Market Bill and the legislative consent process which the Finance and Constitution Committee has lead responsibility for:
17 September 2020: External Research on Checks on Goods Imported into the European Union
The Committee took evidence from Anna Jerzewska, Customs and Trade Consultant.
Oral Evidence: May - June 2020
Due to the change in priorities to Parliamentary business during the COVID-19 outbreak, the Committee agreed to postpone its planned evidence sessions on the future relationship negotiations with sectoral stakeholders. In its place, the Committee agreed to hold evidence sessions with experts on the negotiations and with the Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, Europe and External Affairs in order to take stock of the progress made in, and the timetable for, the negotiations. The Committee also agreed to accept written submissions from the individuals and organisations who were invited to the postponed evidence sessions.
25 June 2020
The Committee took evidence from Rt Hon Michael Gove, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, UK Government
18 June 2020
The Committee took from Michael Russell, Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, Europe and External Affairs, Scottish Government.
11 June 2020
The Committee took evidence from Professor Sarah Hall, Professor of Economic Geography, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Nottingham; Elspeth Macdonald, Chief Executive Officer, Scottish Fishermen's Federation; and Allie Renison, Head of EU and Trade Policy, Institute of Directors.
Following the meeting on 11 June 2020, Professor Sarah Hall provided an additional written submission:
4 June 2020
The Committee took evidence from Philip Rycroft, Former Permanent Secretary, Department for Exiting the European Union
26 May 2020
The Committee took evidence from David McAllister MEP, UK Coordination Group in the European Parliament.
Oral Evidence: January - March 2020
Prior to the commencement of the inquiry, the Committee held evidence sessions on the Withdrawal Agreement and negotiation of the future relationship on the following dates:
5 March 2020
The Committee took evidence from Rt Hon Alister Jack, Secretary of State for Scotland; Gillian McGregor CBE, Director and Nick Leake, Deputy Director, Policy, Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland.
20 February 2020
The Committee took evidence from Michael Russell, Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, Europe and External Affairs and David Barnes, Head of EU Exit Strategy and Negotiations, Scottish Government.
23 January 2020
The Committee took evidence from Dr Fabian Zuleeg, Chief Executive and Chief Economist, European Policy Centre; Charles Grant, Director, Centre for European Reform; Dame Mariot Leslie, Former UK Diplomat and Member of the First Minister's Standing Council on Europe; and Professor Anand Menon, Professor of European Politics and Foreign Affairs, Kings College London.
Written Submissions
The following written submissions have been received:
External Research
The Committee commissioned external research from Anna Jerzewska, Customs and Trade Consultant, on the checks that are carried out on goods imported into the European Union. The research considers the customs checks that are required both at the border and away from the border and at a range of physical settings including land borders, ports and airports. The research considers these checks in relation to a range of trading relationships that the EU has with a variety of third countries including Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, Canada, Japan and Australia and the Faroe Islands. A copy of the report can be accessed at—
Briefing Papers
The Committee’s adviser on International Trade has produced a paper detailing the International Agreements the UK Government has entered into as of March 2020:
Correspondence
Impact of Brexit on Devolution: Correspondence with the Finance and Constitution Committee
The Convener of the Finance and Constitution Committee wrote to the Committee on 30 October in relation to the impact of Brexit on devolution:
The Convener replied to the Finance and Constitution Committee's letter on 26 November 2020:
The UK-EU Parliamentary Partnership Assembly
The Chair of the Welsh Parliament's External Affairs and Additional Legislation Committee wrote to the Convener on 22 February 2021 in relation to the UK-EU Parliamentary Partnership Assembly:
The Chairperson of the Northern Ireland Assembly's Committee for the Executive Office wrote to the Chair of the House of Lords European Union Committee on 25 February 2021 in relation to the UK-EU Parliamentary Partnership Assembly. This correspondence was copied to the Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Affairs Committee and is reproduced below:
The Convener wrote to the Chair of the House of Lords European Union Committee on 4 March 2021 in relation to the UK-EU Parliamentary Partnership Assembly:
The Chair of the House of Lords European Union Committee replied to the Convener's letter on 19 March 2021:
Correspondence with Scottish Government and the UK Government
The Convener wrote to the Scottish and UK Governments on 30 April 2020 in relation to future relationship negotiations:
The Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, Europe and External Affairs replied to the Convener's letter on 26 May 2020:
The UK Government Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster replied to the Convener's letter on 9 June 2020:
Following the Committee's evidence sessions on 5 and 12 November 2020, the Convener wrote to the UK Government Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 13 November 2020:
The UK Government Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster replied to the Convener's letter on 14 December 2020:
Following the Committee's evidence session on 15 December 2020, the Convener wrote to the UK Government Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 18 December 2020:
Other Scottish Government Correspondence
The Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, Europe and External Affairs wrote to the Convener on 3 June 2020 in relation to the Scottish Government's publication COVID-19: the Case for Extending the Brexit Transition Period:
Follow-Up Correspondence from Committee Meeting of 25 June 2020
Following the evidence session on 25 June 2020, the Convener wrote to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in relation to the future relationship negotiations:
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster replied to the Convener's letter on 22 July 2020:
Follow-Up Correspondence from Committee Meeting of 17 September 2020
Following the evidence session on 17 September 2020, the Convener wrote to the Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, Europe and External Affairs and the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in relation to checks on goods imported into the European Union:
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster replied to the Convener's letter on 31 October 2020:
The Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, Europe and External Affairs replied to the Convener's letter on 12 November 2020: