Committees

Minister questioned on the level playing field and state aid

26 June 2020

The House of Lords EU Goods Sub-Committee hears evidence from BEIS Minister Paul Scully MP about progress in the UK-EU negotiations on the level playing field – in particular provisions on labour and environmental protections, climate change and state aid. The discussion will also cover the new regime being developed by the Government to replace EU state aid rules.

Witnesses

On Monday 29 June 2020 at 10.30am, the Committee will hear from:

  • Paul Scully MP, Minister for Small Business, Consumers and Labour Markets, Department for Business, Energy and the Industrial Strategy (BEIS)
  • Jessica Blakely, Director for Subsidy Control and International Negotiations, BEIS

Background

In the future relationship negotiations, the term ‘level playing field' refers to a suite of provisions that, according to the EU, should prevent either party from seeking to obtain a trading advantage on the other through deregulation or subsidies to business. It would cover (among other things) commitments on labour and environmental protections, the fight against climate change and state aid. Reaching agreement on these matters is proving challenging.

Between February and April 2020, the former EU Internal Market Sub-Committee undertook a short inquiry into the level playing field, with a particular focus on state aid. It also explored the opportunities and challenges associated with developing a new domestic regime to replace EU state aid rules. The Committee wrote to BEIS Minister Paul Scully MP on 3 April with a number of recommendations and questions to the Government, and received his response on 15 May.

Building on this work, the EU Goods Sub-Committee is seeking an update from the Minister on progress in the negotiations and the development of the new subsidy control regime.

Areas of interest

Possible questions that may be asked by the Committee include:

  • What progress has been made in the UK-EU negotiations on the level playing field?
  • What are the main areas of agreement and disagreement around non-regression provisions on labour and environmental protections?
  • What assessment has the Government made of the EU's negotiating position on state aid? Has the Government detected a change in the EU's position?
  • How advanced is development of the Government's proposed domestic subsidy control framework?

Further information 

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