The Protecting against the Effects of the Extraterritorial Application of Third Country Legislation (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations are made in exercise of the powers conferred by section 8(1) of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (c. 16) in order to address failures of retained EU law to operate effectively and other deficiencies (in particular under paragraphs (a), (b) and (g) of subsection (2)) arising from the withdrawal of the UK from the European Union.

These Regulations make amendments to the EU rules prohibiting persons from complying with the trade sanctions legislation of third countries to the extent that that legislation purports to have extraterritorial effects, together with amendments (consequent upon withdrawal) to the related UK implementing legislation. The changes to these EU rules are made to ensure that these rules operate as UK rules after withdrawal. For instance, the provisions prohibiting EU persons from complying with the relevant third country legislation become provisions prohibiting UK persons from doing so; powers on the part of the European Commission to make EU tertiary legislation to amend the annex of third country legislation (compliance with which is proscribed) becomes a power, exercisable by the Secretary of State, to amend the annex by domestic secondary legislation; obligations to provide information to the Commission become obligations to provide information to the Secretary of State; and provisions whereby persons may apply to the Commission to be allowed to comply with the third country legislation become provisions whereby persons may apply to the Secretary of State for permission to do so.

An impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private or voluntary sector is foreseen. A copy of the Explanatory Memorandum is published alongside the Regulations on www.legislation.gov.uk. Further information is available from Trade Policy Group, Department for International Trade, 3 Whitehall Place, London SW1A 2AW and on the gov.uk website (www.gov.uk).