A summary of how the UK Withdrawal Agreement from EU compares to what the UK Prime Minister said her objectives are

1. Citizen’s review of UK Withdrawal
Agreement [TF50 (2018)] (v) the UK
Prime Minster’s stated objectives
18 November 2018
By Rob Lober
withdrawal@protonmail.com
Statements herein are the personal opinion of the author. They are provided as seen and without any warranty as
to their accuracy. By continuing to read this document you waive all your rights to seek damages from the author
regarding this document. Readers are encouraged to review the Withdrawal Agreement for themselves and make
their own investigations.
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2. Summary
From personal experience I know its always worthwhile to review an Agreement yourself. Often, what you are
told is or is not in an Agreement is not reflected in the text.
The main purpose of this document is to review the UK Withdrawal Agreement from the EU against what the
UK Prime Minister said were her objectives during her television address from Downing Street on 15 November
2018. Some other observations are made.
This document is not intended to be for or against the EU or biased to the political right or left.
In my personal opinion the Withdrawal Agreement:
• covers many valuable and necessary points,
• is not deterministic about how and when the “Transition Period” would end,
• would curtail the powers of the UK Parliament after the end of the Transition Period. This means that
there are somethings that UK voters could never remove unless the EU agreed at its discretion.
Check the Withdrawal Agreement for yourself. This document is not a full review.
The author is not a member of any political party or retained by an government organisation or NGO
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3. UK Prime Minister's
objective stated in a speech
at Downing Street on the
afternoon of 15 November
2018
Is the
Objective
Achieved by
signing the
agreement? Why Article Page
Formal control over borders
by bringing end to free
movement of people No
Single customs territory between Union and EU. What happens later is
dependent on a Joint Committee. 6.1 310
UK must have tariffs from non-EU countries no lower than EU's. Its not
reciprocal. This rules out independent trade deals for the UK. 3 337
Full control over our (UK)
money so we decide how to
spend it e.g. NHS. Vast
annual payments (to EU)
stopped. No
After 1 January 2021 the amount paid by UK will be determined by a Joint
Committee (Paragraph 3.a). UK must pay its share of EU liabilities until
the end of December 2020 (Page 227) including pension rights that
accrue to this date. 132 2.d 208
Full control over laws by
ending jurisdiction of ECJ in
UK No
ECJ has jurisdiction until end of Transition Period which is an unknown
date and a date not solely determined by UK. ECJ has jurisdiction on all
UK court rulings made before the end of the Transition Period. Also UK
Courts must consider EU Case law that is 'handed down' before end of
Transition Period. The Withdrawal Agreement is subject to the ECJ for 4
years after end of Transition Period (Article 87). 86 145
Getting us (UK) our of
Common Agricultural Policy
and Common Fisheries policy No
Current fishing allocations to be maintained. EU will consult UK. Intention
to conclude a new agreement on Fish by July 2020. A Joint Committee will
determine the amount of support that the UK can give to its agricultural
sector. 130 207
Protect manufacturing jobs
(integrated supply chains) Yes Single customs territory 1 333
Security co-operation Partly
EU law and current arrangements apply during Transition Period unless a
new arrangement is made but nothing compels a new arrangement.
Articles 156 & 157 (Page 266) detail what UK must pay to EU Defence
Agency but not what UK gets back. UK Sovereign Bases are covered.
Police cooperation continues during the Transition Period. 127 197
Protect integrity of UK. No
hard border between Ireland
and Northern Ireland. Partly
There is a single customs territory. But there are many special rules for
Northern Ireland, for example about electricity and state aid. 6 3103

4. Other observations beyond what UK
Prime Minister said on 15 November
2018
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5. Issue Comment Article Page
Transition period can be
extended, with no set end
date, by a single vote of a
Joint Committee taken
before 1 July 2020 This could lead to an indefinite extension of the Transition Period 132 207
All payments from UK to EU
to be in Euros.
It means if Pound Sterling looses value then UK needs to pay more Pound
Sterling. Buying Euros will weaken GBPEUR exchange rate creating
constant downwards pressure on Pound Sterling. 133 210
UK is bound to all EU
international agreements
until end of Transition
Period.
This includes future agreements that UK would have no control over and
end of Transition Period is unknown. 129 203
UK must refrain from any
action prejudicial to EU until
end of Transition Period
(Para 3)
The clause is not reciprocal and the Transition Period has no end date.
Basically a non-compete clause. 129 204
Beyond the Transition
Period, UK remains
committed to Harmful Tax
competition Code of Conduct
was agreed 1 Dec 1997. Not
legally binding.
Sets a political expectation that UK will not reduce business taxes to attract
business to UK
Annex
4 1.3 355
UK must implement its own
carbon pricing scheme at
least as effective of the EU's.
After the Transition Period, surely that should be up to the British
Parliament? UK remains bound by rules of a club it no longer belongs to.
Annex
4 2 358
A Joint Committee will
determine rules for pollution
applicable from the End of
Transition Period
After the Transition Period, surely that should be up to the British
Parliament? UK remains bound by rules of a club it no longer belongs to.
Annex
4 2 357
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6. Other observations continued
Issue Comment Article Page
UK can't reduce
laws/protection for workers
rights below the level in the
EU at the end of the
Transition Period
After the Transition Period, surely that should be up to the British
Parliament? UK remains bound by rules of a club it no longer belongs to.
Annex
4 4 360
EU law on state aid will apply
to UK at all times, except in
the area if agriculture. UK
must also organise a
politically Independent
Authority to police state aid.
UK must ensure courts
understand EU law and the
EU can bring cases about
state aid if the Independent
Authority fails to act.
After the Transition Period, surely that should be up to the British
Parliament? UK remains bound by rules of a club it no longer belongs to.
Annex
4 7 363
At all times the UK must
maintain competition laws to
EU standards
After the Transition Period, surely that should be up to the British
Parliament? UK remains bound by rules of a club it no longer belongs to.
Annex
4 22 378
OECD rules on harmful tax
practices to be applied to
Gibraltar Gibraltar to be less of a tax haven. 501
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7. Sources
• Withdrawal Agreement
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/sites/beta-political/files/draft_withdrawal_agreement_0.pdf
• UK Prime Minister’s statement
https://youtu.be/dzNzSDgxS8k
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