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The EU Withdrawal Agreement Bill Timetable: What You Need to Know

The United Kingdom`s withdrawal from the European Union has been a long and complex process, and the negotiations and agreements leading up to Brexit have been no exception. Among these agreements is the EU Withdrawal Agreement, which outlines the terms of the UK`s departure from the EU and sets out a transition period for the two parties to negotiate a new relationship.

To implement the Withdrawal Agreement, the UK government introduced a bill in Parliament known as the EU Withdrawal Agreement Bill, which lays out the legal framework for Brexit. However, passing this bill has proven to be a difficult task, with various obstacles and delays along the way.

The first hurdle came in October 2019 when the bill was first introduced by the government. The opposition parties, led by the Labour Party, quickly moved to amend the bill by adding provisions to protect workers` rights, maintain environmental protections, and secure a customs union with the EU. These amendments were highly contentious and ultimately led to the bill being postponed until after the general election in December 2019.

Following the election, the government secured a majority in Parliament, which allowed them to reintroduce the EU Withdrawal Agreement Bill with their preferred version intact. The bill was debated and amended in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, with the government facing criticism for its rushed and limited scrutiny of the legislation.

Despite these challenges, the EU Withdrawal Agreement Bill was finally passed by Parliament in January 2020, allowing the government to move forward with Brexit on January 31 of that year.

However, the story doesn`t end there. As part of the Withdrawal Agreement, the UK and EU agreed to a transition period until December 31, 2020, during which time they would negotiate a new relationship. To extend this period, the UK had to request an extension by June 30, 2020. However, the government chose not to do so, and thus the transition period will end on December 31, 2020, regardless of whether a new agreement is in place.

The EU Withdrawal Agreement Bill has been a central part of the Brexit process, outlining the legal framework for the UK`s departure from the EU and setting out the terms of the transition period. Although it faced significant challenges along the way, the bill was ultimately passed by Parliament, allowing the UK to move forward with Brexit. However, with the transition period set to end in just a few short weeks, the UK and EU must work quickly to negotiate a new relationship before the clock runs out.