Committee updates analysis of four EU proposals

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• European Scrutiny Committee

The Committee scrutinises the political and economic impacts of EU legislative proposals and actions that affect the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, the Northern Ireland Protocol, and the Withdrawal Agreement.

In today’s publication:

The EU’s new Product Safety Regulation

Exporters to the EU would need to follow the EU’s new regulations on product safety for all consumer goods which could soon include rules mandating a ‘responsible economic operator’ on EU soil for British firms. The new rules could lead to regulatory divergence between Great Britain and Northern Ireland and have a significant impact on UK suppliers of EU firms.

Proposals for new EU product liability regime for defective products

The EU plans an expansion of consumer rights to make it easier to claim compensation for defective products, particularly those bought online from outside the bloc, which now includes the UK. This could place a higher financial burden on UK-firms selling into the EU. It could also lead to different rights for Great British and Northern Ireland consumers respectively as NI must follow the EU’s regulatory regime under the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Proposals for packaging and packaging waste

UK manufacturers are likely to produce packaging that complies with the EU proposals once they come into force and could influence the Government’s own plans for a packaging and waste regime. 

Proposals for trade preferences for developing countries

While the EU has proposed a new set of tariff and trade arrangements that would reduce barriers for developing nations to do business with them, the UK is also making plans for its own, more relaxed regime. Northern Ireland under the Protocol would have to follow the EU’s arrangements, which could mean treatment of goods from such countries may vary depending on whether they are brought into NI or Great Britain.

You can read the full update on the Committee’s publications page.

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