The UK formally left the EU on 31 January 2020. While the terms of the departure have been agreed to in the Withdrawal Agreement, a period of negotiations and transition are to take place over the next few months. This period is referred to as the transition or implementation period and will come to an end on 31 December 2020. 

Terms

• “exit day” - 31 January 2020
• “transition or implementation period” - Period during which EU law, unless otherwise provided for in the Withdrawal Agreement, continues to apply in the UK. This period lasts from exit day until 11.00 p.m. on 31 December 2020
• “IP completion day” - 31 December 2020
• “Withdrawal Act” - European Union (Withdrawal) Act, 2018 (as amended by the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act, 2020

Types of EU law in the UK

Before 31 January 2020, EU legislation became law in the UK in two ways:

• EU law that was directly applicable to people and companies in the UK. This is law that is on the statute books of the EU. (If you have Libryo, this law appears under the Union heading in each of your Libryo Streams).

• EU law that required domestic implementing legislation in the UK before it became UK  law. This law was generally in the form of a Regulation made under the European Communities Act, 1972. This is law that is on the statute books of the UK which says what it does because the UK was part of the EU. (If you have Libryo this can be found under the National heading of each of your Libryo Streams).

How do all of these changes affect your law?

The UK is currently in the transition or implementation period, during which time directly applicable EU law continues to apply to the UK. This will be the cause until 11.00 p.m. on 31 December 2020, after which EU law will not apply to you.

However, all UK law that says what it does because the UK was part of the EU will remain on the UK's statute books until it is amended or repealed. Any such changes will be published at legislation.gov.uk. Such law will remain in force beyond 31 December 2020 if it is not specifically amended.

Libryo’s legaltech can help you through Brexit complexity

Libryo tracks and filters your applicable law, so if you have operations in the UK, we will source and automate any relevant legal updates made on legislation.gov.uk, ensuring you stay updated in the changes made to your law, during and after this transition and implementation period.

Learn more about how Libryo Streams work and compare to normal legal registers in this blog: ‘Why Libryo Streams have made legal registers obsolete’.