THE BREXIT DEAL - WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR

 BBC News 24 December 2020

Almost at the 11th hour, the UK and EU have struck a Brexit deal that will have many implications for everyday life and the UK's future relationship with other countries.

The full complicated agreement - said to be over 1,500 pages long - hasn't been released yet so we don't know all the details.

However, some elements of the agreement have been released by the UK government and the EU.

Trade

• There will be no extra charges on goods (tariffs) or limits on the amount that can be traded (quotas) between the UK and the EU from 1 January
• However, there will be extra checks at borders, such as safety checks and customs declarations, so businesses that rely on transporting goods to and from the EU will need to be ready
• For services, including finance - which is very important to the UK economy - the situation is still slightly unclear. Services will lose their automatic right of access but the UK said the agreement "locks in market access across substantially all sectors"
• There will no longer be automatic recognition of professional qualifications such as doctors, nurses and architects

Travel

• UK nationals will need a visa for stays of longer than 90 days in the EU in a 180-day period
• There will be extra border checks for UK travellers
• EU pet passports will no longer be valid

Fishing

• The UK becomes an independent coastal state and can decide on access to its waters and fishing grounds
• But EU boats will be able to fish in UK waters for some years to come at least
• 25% of the value of their current catch will now become available for UK fishing boats
• But there will be a transition period of five-and-a-half years where that is phased in
• After the transition period the UK and EU will regularly negotiate on access to each other's waters

European Court of Justice

• The UK will no longer be bound by judgements made by the European Court of Justice, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said

Security

• The UK will no longer have automatic access to key databases, but should be able to gain access upon request
• The UK will will not be a member of Europol - the EU's law enforcement agency - but it will have a presence at its headquarters. This will be a similar to the arrangement the US currently has.

Study

• The UK will no longer participate in the Erasmus exchange programme - an EU scheme that helps students study in other countries.
• In its place will be a new scheme named after the mathematician Alan Turing
• Students at universities in Northern Ireland will continue to participate in Erasmus, as part of an arrangement with the Irish government.