| File photo: David Davis, Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union arrives at Downing Street in London |
The British government will set out plans on Thursday to convert European Union laws into domestic legislation to give “businesses, workers and consumers the certainty they need” as Britain exits the bloc.
A day after British Prime Minister Theresa May launched the formal divorce process, saying there was no turning back, her government will publish a formal policy document on its “Great Repeal Bill”.
The White Paper, which sets out the government’s proposals for future legislation, will, according to Brexit minister David Davis, end “the supremacy of lawmakers in Brussels” but also give a legal framework for firms to be able to plan.
“At the heart of the referendum decision was sovereignty. A strong, independent country needs control of its own laws. That process starts now,” Davis said in a statement.
“Converting EU law into UK law … will mean that as we seek a comprehensive new economic partnership with the EU, our allies will know that we start from a position where we have the same standards and rules.”
Some companies have said they cannot plan without knowing what comes after Brexit, forcing them to put investment programmes on hold and sometimes delaying major infrastructure projects.
By converting the body of EU law into British legislation, May’s government hopes to ease those concerns by offering that “wherever practical, the same rules and laws will apply after exit day”.
“It will then be for elected politicians in this country to make changes in the national interest,” the Brexit ministry said.