The European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (Consequential Modifications and Repeals) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019

The purpose of this instrument is to ensure that the UK statute book works coherently and effectively following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. It clarifies how certain terms, including EU-related definitions, should be interpreted in domestic legislation on or after exit day.

This instrument also clarifies how non-ambulatory cross-references to EU legislation should be read where such references relate to a time before exit day. Non-ambulatory references are references which are not automatically updated. The regulations make technical repeals to redundant provisions within primary legislation arising from the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (“the EUWA”).

These are primarily repeals of amending provisions, in particular relating to the European Communities Act 1972 (“the ECA”), where the EUWA has already provided for the repeal of the amended provisions. The purpose of the repeals in these Regulations is to tidy up the statute book and they have no substantive effect.