The new relationship between the European Union and Great Britain (Brexit)

The new relationship between the European Union and Great Britain

A lot changed when the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union took full effect on January 1, 2021. Brexit has consequences for Finnish companies and for companies operating in Finland and doing business with the United Kingdom.

The European Commission and the United Kingdom reached an agreement on a Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) and a supplementary agreement on information security on 24 December 2020. The agreements entered into force on 1 May 2021.

On February 1, 2020, the United Kingdom’s Withdrawal Agreement from the European Union entered into force. The Withdrawal Agreement shall be implemented in parallel with the Trade and Cooperation Agreement and any subsequent agreements. The Withdrawal Agreement protects, among other things, the rights of EU and British nationals, deals with the UK’s economic commitments made during its membership in the EU, and sets out procedures at the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland, with regard to Northern Ireland. The peace process.

Both agreements agreed on cooperation bodies at various levels, where issues related to the agreements are dealt with and the implementation of the objectives of the agreement is monitored. In cooperation bodies, the EU member states are represented by the Commission. The European Union prepares and approves guidelines for cooperation in the various Council bodies.

Coordination of relations between the European Union and Great Britain in Finland

In Finland, each ministry is responsible for the relationship between the European Union and Great Britain and for the consequences of Brexit within its own sphere of responsibility. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been responsible for overall coordination since August 1, 2021.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ area of ​​responsibility includes issues related to EU trade policy, foreign and security policy, development policy, and consular services. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is generally responsible for bilateral relations between Finland and Great Britain.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs contact details:

Hanna Heckela, Team Leader, Responsible for Great Britain, Central, Western and Southern Europe Unit, Tel: +358295351194

Department of State email addresses contain the form [email protected].

Contact details of other authorities(Link to another website.)

Information about the EU, UK and Brexit on other websites: