EU Withdrawal and Future Relationship Votes — Motion (D) — Retain Freedom of Movement of People and Goods via European Free Trade Association Membership — 27 Mar 2019 at 22:56

The majority of MPs voted against the United Kingdom joining the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) (with comprehensive customs arrangement with the European Union). The rejected proposal would have enabled continued participation in the single market comprising EFTA members (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) and the European Union. Membership would have provided for free movement of goods, services, persons and capital among members.

The majority of MPs also voted against full and fair enforcement of the rule that European Economic Area migrants must be “genuinely seeking work” and have “sufficient resources not to become a burden on the UK’s social assistance system”.

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—
• (1) directs Her Majesty’s Government to—
• renegotiate the framework for the future relationship laid before the House on Monday 11 March 2019 with the title ‘Political Declaration setting out the framework for the future relationship between the European Union and the United Kingdom’ to provide that, on the conclusion of the Implementation Period and no later than 31 December 2020, the United Kingdom shall—
• (a) accede to the European Free Trade Association (Efta) having negotiated a derogation from Article 56(3) of the Efta Agreement to allow UK participation in a comprehensive customs arrangement with the European Union,
• (b) enter the Efta Pillar of the European Economic Area and thereby render operational the United Kingdom’s continuing status as a party to the European Economic Area Agreement and continuing participation in the Single Market,
• (c) enter a comprehensive customs arrangement including a common external tariff at least until alternative arrangements that maintain frictionless trade with the European Union and no hard border on the island of Ireland have been agreed with the European Union,
• (d) conclude an agreement with the European Union, which in accordance with Article 2 of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland of the Withdrawal Agreement supersedes the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland in full;
• (e) develop and bring to this House proposals for full and fair enforcement of the rule that EEA migrants must be “genuinely seeking work” and have “sufficient resources not to become a burden on the UK’s social assistance system”, in accordance with the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2006;
• (2) resolves to make support for the forthcoming European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill conditional upon the inclusion of provisions for a Political Declaration revised in accordance with the provisions of this motion to be the legally binding negotiating mandate for Her Majesty’s Government in the forthcoming negotiation of the future relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union
• [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 |