The Exiting the European Union Committee has sets out 15 key tests by which any deal agreed by October 2018 should be judged.
Hilary Benn, Chair of the Committee, said he hoped that the tests would provide a useful yardstick for the final deal. He stated that ‘I hope these will assist Parliament when it comes to its meaningful vote at the end of the Article 50 negotiations.’
Having published the Draft Agreement on the withdrawal of the UK from the EU on 19 March 2018, the EU and the UK are now moving on to the detailed scoping of future relations. They intend to reach a political declaration on the framework for this future relationship in October 2018.
The Committee’s tests are based on the Prime Minister’s various speeches on Brexit and commitments made by David Davis MP, Secretary of State for Exiting the EU.
Benn added that the Government should consider European Free Trade Association or European Economic Area membership if Theresa May’s final deal does not satisfy the key tests outlined by the Committee.
Four of the 15 tests were directly relevant to the video games industry:
- There must be no additional costs to businesses that trade in goods or services;
- There must be no impediments to the free flow of data between the UK and the EU;
- Any new immigration arrangements set up between the UK and the EU must not act as an impediment to the movement of workers; and
- Continued participation in the Horizon 2020 programme, which provides some funding for the video games industry.
The full report is available to view here