EU Withdrawal and Future Relationship Votes — Motion (H) — Retain Relatively Free Movement of People and Goods via European Free Trade Association Membership — No Customs Union with EU — 27 Mar 2019 at 22:56

The majority of MPs voted against continued relatively free movement of goods, services, persons and capital between the UK, EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, achieved via membership of European Free Trade Association (EFTA), but without a customs union with the EU.

The majority of MPs rejected a proposal to continue the United Kingdom's membership of the European Economic Area, re-join the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), and not enter a customs union with the European Union but seek new protocols on the Northern Ireland border and agri-food trade.

EFTA is the intergovernmental organisation of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, it promotes of free trade and economic integration between its members^[1]. The EFTA's Agreement on the European Economic Area brings its members and the European Union into a single market.^[2]

The motion rejected by a majority of MPs in this vote was:

• That this House
• recognises the democratic duty of Parliament to respect the result of the 2016 referendum whilst securing an orderly departure from the EU that preserves the territorial integrity of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland;
• notes that the UK is a signatory to the treaty establishing the European Economic Area and has not given notice to leave the EEA as is required under Article 127 of that agreement;
• further notes that the UK was a founding member of the European Free Trade Association in 1960 and
• therefore call on the Government to (a) assert its existing rights as a signatory to the EEA, (b) take necessary steps to make our rights and obligations as an EEA member operable on an emergency basis through the domestic courts, (c) apply to re-join EFTA at the earliest opportunity to make the EEA agreement operable on a sustainable basis and (d) decline to enter a customs union with the EU but seek agreement on new protocols relating to the Northern Ireland border and agri-food trade

--

• [1] The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) website
• [2] https://www.efta.int/eea/eea-agreement, The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) website

Debate in Parliament |