In late September 2018, it was said to be another six months until Brexit (our News of 29 September 2018). Now it is actually about to happen. The United Kingdom (UK) will leave the European Union (EU). We summarise the key issues for you below, especially from the perspective of customs and foreign trade law: Which documents are actually relevant? Essentially there are two. They deal with the withdrawal of the UK, firstly from the perspective of Germany, and secondly from...

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At midnight tonight Luxembourg time, the United Kingdom will leave the European Union. For business in the EU and the UK, nothing will change during 2020. However, everything could change from 1 January 2021 as there is still considerable uncertainty on what the future relationship between the EU and the UK will look like. This newsflash looks at what Brexit means for business and the steps ahead. Transition Period until 31 December 2020 During 2020, nothing will really change for companies,...

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Brexit: So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye On 23 June 2016 the United Kingdom voted by four percentage points to leave the EU. At 11 pm tonight, the UK will cease to be a member of the EU. The country will no longer have a seat at the EU decision-making table, and will enter the transition period, following EU rules and regulations until the next ‘cliff-edge’ on 31 December 2020. It has been over three and a half years since...

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Brand owners seeking to do business in Europe are well-advised to apply to register their key brands as trademarks. With the United Kingdom formally leaving the European Union as of January 31, brand owners seeking protection in the UK will have two choices: i) they can wait to extend their trademark registrations from the European Union pursuant to a transition process expected to be finalized in the year ahead; or ii) they can plan pro-actively to file UK trademark...

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We have gathered together for this special edition of Brexit Business Brief 20 quick points you should know as the UK enters the transition phase to negotiate its future relationship and end its 46-year marriage with the EU. The next edition will look at the EU and UK opening positions ahead of the trade negotiations. 1. What changes on 31 January? The United Kingdom leaves the European Union at 11.00 p.m. London time on Friday 31 January 2020. It ceases to...

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On 31 January 2020, the UK will formally leave the European Union, after over 40 years of membership. The UK’s relationship with the EU will no longer be governed by the EU Treaties, but instead by the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement agreed between the UK and the EU in late 2019. Following that agreement, the UK will be in a “transition” period, which commences the moment the UK leaves the EU and is currently set to end on...

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The U.K. House of Commons has approved the Withdrawal Agreement. Assuming this is ratified by the EU, and Royal Assent is achieved in time, the U.K. will leave the EU on January 31, 2020, entering into a “transition” or “implementation” period during which most of the EU’s arrangements and legal regime will continue to apply in the U.K. This period is planned to end on December 31, 2020, leaving just 11 months for the EU and U.K. to reach...

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Timeline for Brexit 2020 7 January Withdrawal Agreement Bill returned to the House of Commons. 9 January Third reading of the WAB and end of Commons stages of the WAB. 13 January WAB passed to the House of Lords. Although some Lords may attempt to amend the WAB, the House itself will be mindful that the WAB was a Conservative manifesto commitment. By 29 January The WAB will be law. 29 January (expected) European Parliament consents to the Withdrawal Agreement. Some point between 29 to 31 January The UK and the...

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