European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2019

2019 CHAPTER 16

An Act to make provision in connection with the period for negotiations for withdrawing from the European Union.

[8th April 2019]

Be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

1 Duties in connection with Article 50 extension

(1) On the day on which this Act receives Royal Assent or on the day after that day, a Minister of the Crown must move a motion in the House of Commons in the form set out in subsection (2).

(2) The form of the motion set out in this subsection is –

“That this House agrees for the purposes of section 1 of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2019 to the Prime Minister seeking an extension of the period specified in Article 50(3) of the Treaty on European Union to a period ending on […]”

(3) A motion in the form set out in subsection (2) must include a date in the position indicated by the brackets in that subsection.

(4) If the motion in the form set out in subsection (2) for the purposes of subsection (1) is agreed to without amendment, the Prime Minister must seek an extension of the period specified in Article 50(3) of the Treaty on European Union to a period ending on the date included in that motion.

(5) If the motion in the form set out in subsection (2) for the purposes of subsection (1) is agreed to with an amendment to change the date in the motion as moved to another date, the Prime Minister must seek an extension of the period specified in Article 50(3) of the Treaty on European Union for a period ending on the date included in the motion as agreed to.

(6) Nothing in this section prevents a Minister of the Crown from seeking, or agreeing to, an extension of the period specified in Article 50(3) of the Treaty on European Union otherwise than in accordance with this section provided that the extension cannot end earlier than 22 May 2019.

(7) In deciding for the purposes of subsection (6) whether an extension cannot end earlier than 22 May 2019, the earlier ending of the extension as a result of the entry into force of the withdrawal agreement (as provided for in Article 50(3) of the Treaty on European Union) is to be ignored.

2 Procedure for ensuring domestic legislation matches Article 50 extension

In paragraph 14 of Schedule 7 to the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (regulations amending the definition of “exit day” to be subject to approval by each House of Parliament) for the words from “may” to “each” substitute “is subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either”.

3 Interpretation, commencement, extent and short title

(1) Any term used in this Act which is also defined in section 20 of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 has the same meaning in this Act as in that Act.

(2) This Act comes into force on the day on which this Act is passed.

(3) This Act extends to England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

(4) This Act may be cited as the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2019.