The EU-UK trade and cooperation agreement

Abstract

The Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) was completed at the end of 2020 and governs the relationship between the European Union and the United Kingdom, as a third country. The most controversial issue during the negotiations of the TCA was the so-called level playing field, by which the EU wanted the UK to follow its rules and standards on labor and social areas, on environmental policy and on State aid. The European Union claims to be a global regulatory power, being able to extend its normative weight in the framework of trade agreements with other nations. When compared to recent preferential trade agreements, the TCA allows the EU to extend its own rules and standards in the areas covered by the level playing field, even if it was the trade-off for UK goods to benefit from a greater degree of access to the single market. In any case, the TCA can be seen as a step forward in the EU ability to spread its regulatory influence.