Confused by all the Brexit jargon in the news? Here's a glossary to demystify commonly used EU-related terms.
Confused by all the Brexit jargon in the news? Here's a glossary to demystify commonly used EU-related terms.
Alignment: Keeping rules and regulations in the UK in line with those in the European Union after Brexit, as in "regulatory alignment".
12 key terms
Article 50: The European Union's exit clause. It is part of the Lisbon Treaty and by invoking it or triggering it a country formally and legally signals it is leaving the European Union.
No deal
Backstop plan: During the transition period the UK and the EU plan to negotiate a comprehensive future relationship that will maintain a fully open Irish border. The backstop is a kind of safety net - a way of avoiding a hard border if the future deal has not been agreed in time. In the withdrawal agreement, it is set out as a single customs territory covering the EU and the whole of the UK, but Northern Ireland would also have to follow other EU rules. The EU and UK have said that the backstop should only be a temporary arrangement until a permanent solution is found. But critics point out that it is not time-limited in the proposal and the UK cannot leave it unilaterally.
WTO rules
Blind Brexit: Situation where the UK leaves the EU and enters a transition period before agreement is reached about the long-term future relationship.
Reality Check: What does a 'WTO Brexit' mean? (August 2018)
Brexit: Short for Britain exiting the European Union.
Transition period
Brexit bus: Refers to a bus hired by the Leave campaign in the run-up to the European Union referendum. On its side was a slogan that became one of the most controversial of the campaign and was credited by some with swinging the result: "We send the EU £350m a week. Let's fund our NHS instead. Vote Leave."
Brexit Basics: The transition period explained (October 2018)
Brexit day: 29 March 2019: the day when the UK is due to leave the European Union.
Article 50
Brexiteers: Short for those who are in favour of Brexit. See also Brexiters.
Another referendum
Brexiters: Short for those who are in favour of Brexit. See also Brexiteers.
How could another Brexit referendum work? (December 2018)
Brexodus: A combination of the words "Brexit" and "exodus" to mean the departure of people or companies from the UK because of Brexit. Whether this has happened, or will happen, is contested.
Single market
Brino: Means "Brexit In Name Only". An accusation sometimes made by so-called hard brexiters of those seeking a softer brexit, where the UK would remain closely aligned with the EU in many areas.
Brexit Basics: The single market explained (December 2018)
Cake and eat it: A phrase used to mean that Britain is trying to retain all the benefits of European Union membership without the obligations, including payments to the EU budget, accepting jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice and accepting the free movement of people. European negotiators have frequently used "cake and eat it" to characterise Britain's approach. See also "cherry picking".
Customs union
Canada model: Canada has a free trade deal with the EU known as the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). Under the deal, most imported goods are not taxed, although there are some additional customs checks. There are some limits, or quotas, on the amount of certain food products like meat and cereals that can be imported. Services, like banking, are much more restricted. Canada does not contribute to the EU budget and the principle of free movement does not apply, so Canadians are not free to live and work in the EU.
Brexits Basics: The customs union explained (November 2018)
Canada plus: Some people in favour of leaving the EU have campaigned for the Canada plus or Canada plus plus model. Under the Canada deal, most imported goods are not taxed, although there are some additional customs checks. There are some limits, or quotas, on the amount of certain food products like meat and cereals that can be imported. Services, like banking, are much more restricted. The UK would like all the benefits of the Canada deal, plus greater access to the EU for its financial institutions, as well as fewer restrictions on food products and an agreement to recognise the same standards on things like food production to avoid the need for border checks.
Free-trade agreement
Chequers plan: This plan for Brexit was agreed by the Cabinet at the Prime Minister's country residence, Chequers, in July 2018. It proposed tax or tariff-free trade with the EU, while leaving the UK free to pursue trade deals outside the EU. Under the plan, the UK would collect tariffs on the EU's behalf for any goods entering the country but destined to be sent on to EU countries. Because EU tariffs had been collected, there would not need to be a separate border between Northern Ireland and the Republic. But the UK would have to follow EU rules, "the common rule book", on things like food standards to avoid unnecessary border hold-ups. The plan also proposed ending the free movement of people, giving back the UK control over immigration rules. Former Brexit secretary David Davis and former foreign secretary Boris Johnson both resigned their posts over the Chequers plan because they believe it meant the UK would still be too closely tied to the EU.
Cherry picking: A phrase used to mean the UK is trying to choose which European Union arrangements it wants to stay associated with and which it wants to fully opt out of. Similar to "cake and eat it".
Withdrawal agreement
Cliff edge: A term used by critics of Brexit to describe the prospect of the UK leaving the European Union with no deal at all.
The withdrawal agreement - what it all means (November 2018)
Common Agricultural Policy: The EU policy designed to provide financial support to farmers through a system of payments. It was created to make sure that farmers in the EU produced enough food and also had a fair standard of living. Critics say it is wasteful and favours rich landowners and big agri-businesses.
Backstop
Council of Ministers: A European Union body that represents member states' national governments. It is made up of government ministers from all member states who meet regularly. Together with the European Parliament, the council has the power to make EU laws and decide the budget.
Q&A: The Irish border Brexit backstop (December 2018)
Customs partnership: This proposal, also known as the hybrid model, would enable trade in goods between the UK and Europe without the need for customs checks. Proponents say it would help solve the Irish border question too, as the UK would collect the EU's tariffs on goods coming from other countries on the EU's behalf. If those goods stayed in the UK and UK tariffs were lower, companies could then claim back the difference.
Free movement
Customs union: A trade agreement under which two or more countries decide not to have taxes (or tariffs) on imports of goods from countries in the union. Countries also decide to set a common tariff on goods entering from outside the union. The EU customs union includes EU member states and some small non-EU members and forbids members from negotiating trade agreements separately from the EU.
Divorce bill
DExEU: The Department for Exiting the European Union: the name of the new UK government department responsible for managing the UK's departure from the EU.
Disorderly Brexit: Term used by the Bank of England to describe what could happen if the UK were to leave the EU with no deal and very little notice. The Bank has warned that food prices could rise and the economy could be tipped into recession as part of what it has called a "disorderly Brexit".
Divergence: Allowing rules and regulations to differ between the European Union and the UK after Brexit.
Divorce bill: This is the amount the government will pay when the UK leaves the EU. It includes the UK's share of the EU's unpaid bills. EU budgets are agreed seven years in advance so the UK signed up to the current cycle, which ends in 2020. The independent Office for Budget Responsibility has estimated the cost of the financial settlement at £37 billion.
EU: European Union: the political and economic union of 28 member states, which the UK is planning to leave.
EU referendum: A national vote held on 23 June 2016 to decide whether the UK should leave or remain in the European Union. It was decided on a simple majority and the Leave campaign won by 52% to 48%.
EU Withdrawal Bill: Legislation passing through the UK Parliament that will repeal the European Communities Act, which took Britain into what was then the European Economic Community. It will also convert almost all EU law into UK law. Parliament will then be able to decide which EU laws it wants to keep and which it wants to get rid of. This bill is also sometimes known as the repeal bill.
European Commission: The European Union's civil service. The European Commission has a key role in initiating EU legislation.
European Council: A body of the European Union that makes its most important strategic decisions. Its members are heads of state or government of the 28 EU countries, the European Council president and the president of the European Commission.
European Court of Justice (ECJ): The ECJ is the EU's highest legal authority and rules on disputes over European Union treaties and other EU laws. Its decisions are binding on EU institutions and member states.
European Economic Area (EEA): An area covering the 28 European Union countries plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, which enables those three countries to be part of the EU's single market. They abide by the rules of the EU single market and its freedom of movement of people, goods, services and money. But Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland are not part of the EU's Common Agricultural or Fisheries policies and they do not have a common foreign and security policy.
European Free Trade Association (EFTA): An organisation made up of four countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. They are allowed to trade freely with the single market in return for accepting its rules. They're not in the EU customs union and can negotiate trade deals with third-party countries such as China.
European Parliament: The directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union. It has 751 members and is elected by citizens in all 28 European Union member states.
Eurosceptic: Someone who is opposed to the European Union having too much control, because they think it compromises the power of individual countries to make rules and decide their own destiny. Eurosceptics include those who want to return powers from the EU to member states and those who want their country to leave the EU altogether.
Euroscepticism: The belief that the European Union has too much control and threatens the power of individual countries to determine their own destiny. Eurosceptics include those who want to return powers from the EU to member states and those who want their country to leave the EU altogether.
Facilitated customs arrangement: A plan for a post Brexit customs agreement in which goods destined for the EU would be charged an EU tariff and goods headed to the UK would be charged the UK's own potentially lower tariff. The plan would keep the UK aligned to EU regulations and is designed to resolve the Irish border question while allowing Britain to pursue partially independent trade policy.
Four freedoms: The free movement of goods, capital, services and people in the EU's single market.
Free-trade agreement: An agreement between countries to reduce trade barriers, including import or export taxes (tariffs) and import quotas, in order to increase trade in goods and services.
Freedom of movement: or free movement. One of the founding principles of the EU. It means that citizens of EU member states and their families can live and work in any other part of the EU. It has been one of the central arguments around the Brexit debate. Some people are worried that rising levels of immigration from the EU are putting extra pressure on services, like the NHS and schools and taking away local jobs, others have argued that sectors like the care service and parts of agriculture are dependent on people coming from the EU to fill jobs.
Frictionless trade: Trying to do business between the UK and the European Union with the minimum of tariffs, quotas, customs checks and other obstructions.
Globalisation: The process by which the world is becoming increasingly interconnected as a result of international trade and improved means of travel and communication. The biggest companies in the world are now global firms with subsidiaries in many countries.
Hard border: A border controlled and protected by customs officials, police, or military personnel.
Hard Brexit: A hard Brexit would be one where few of the existing ties between the UK and the EU were retained, so it would mean Britain giving up membership of the EU's single market, and the benefits of being part of a free trade area with the EU, and setting up its own trade deals and rules. It is a phrase often used by critics of Brexit who think it will harm the UK economy.
Henry VIII powers: Legal provisions for ministers to decide on changes to existing UK law without the normal process of scrutiny in Parliament. The term is named after King Henry VIII's preference for creating laws by royal proclamation rather than through Parliament.
Irish border: The border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. After Brexit, it will become the only land border between the UK and the European Union.
Managed no deal: Also sometimes called a negotiated no deal. View being promoted by some Brexiteers who want to allay fears about what would happen if the UK left the EU without a deal. They are proposing a transition period during which time the UK would negotiate a free-trade deal as a third country. The UK could also strike a number of mini deals to avert chaos in sectors of the economy. Critics say a transition or implementation period is a key component of the Withdrawal Agreement and if that has been rejected the UK would immediately be subject to WTO rules and have to rely on the goodwill of the EU to resolve any problems.
Mandate: The authority to carry out policy. In relation to Brexit it often refers to the referendum result giving a mandate to the government to take Britain out of the European Union.
Max-fac: 'Maximum facilitation' - an option favoured by Brexiteers who want a complete break with the EU customs regime and would rely instead on technology to minimise border checks. Declaration and clearance procedures would take place in advance, away from the border, and surveillance would be intelligence-led, rather than old-fashioned random searches. Critics say it would not solve the Irish border question as there would still need to be tariff checks.
Meaningful vote: The government said that Parliament would be given a 'meaningful vote' on the withdrawal deal negotiated by Theresa May with the European Union. This took place on 15 January 2019 and MPs voted by 432 to 202 to reject the deal. Parliament still needs to approve a deal before it can be implemented.
MEP: Member of the European Parliament. There are currently 73 UK MEPs, representing 12 electoral regions made up of the nations and regions of the UK. Elections take place every five years, the next vote is due to be held in 2019, but will not take place in the UK if Brexit has happened.
No deal: A no-deal Brexit would mean the UK cutting ties with the European Union overnight, without a transition period. Theresa May's government, and many others, believe this would be hugely damaging and want a more gradual withdrawal. But if Parliament fails to approve the government's Brexit deal, and nothing else takes its place, then there will be a no-deal exit on 29 March. It would mean the UK would follow World Trade Organization terms on trade while attempting to negotiate new trade deals with the EU and other countries.
Norway model: The UK would remain in the EU single market, able to trade freely, but in return it would have to allow free movement of people - which has been a key sticking point for many in the Brexit debate who want to be able to control immigration from the EU. The UK would also have to make a contribution to the EU budget - smaller than it currently makes - and abide by many of the EU's rules.
Passporting: The arrangement under which British companies and foreign companies with bases in the UK are allowed to sell financial services across the European Union with no regulatory barriers.
Political declaration: Document which sets out proposals for how the UK's long term future relationship with the EU will work after Brexit. The political declaration is not legally binding but will be worked up into a full agreement during the transition period.
Remoaners: A derogatory term meaning a person who complains about Britain leaving European Union and/or the outcome of the Brexit referendum.
Reste à liquider: A French accounting term meaning outstanding bills. In the context of Brexit it refers to projects the EU has agreed to support financially, but has yet to pay for.
Schengen area: This is reputed to be the largest free travel area in the world. It is made up of 26 European states that have abolished passport controls at their mutual borders so people can travel freely. Some European Union member states, including the UK, are not in the Schengen area. Some countries that are not members of the European Union, like Norway and Iceland, are in the Schengen area.
Settled status: This is a new UK scheme due to open to all on 30 March 2019. EU citizens and their families who have been living in the UK for five years can apply for "settled status", which will allow them to stay in the UK for as long as they wish. Any child born in the UK to a mother with settled status will automatically become a British citizen. Settled status means you can work in the UK, use the NHS, have access to pensions and benefits and travel in and out of the UK. It is expected that applications will only be rejected from people with serious criminal convictions, or where there are other security concerns.
Single market: The single market is an area covering the EU member states, along with four other countries, that involves the free movement of goods, services, people and capital (or money). Countries in the single market share common rules and regulations to make it easy for companies to trade across national borders.
Soft Brexit: Leaving the European Union but staying as closely aligned to the EU as possible. It could keep the UK in the single market or the customs union or both. It could involve British compromises on free movement of people, allowing European Union citizens rights to settle in the UK with access to public services and benefits.
Tariff: A tax or duty to be paid on goods being imported or, very occasionally, exported.
Tariff-free trade: Trade without any taxes or duties to pay when goods are imported or exported.
Transition: The proposed period between the UK leaving the European Union, on 29 March 2019, and the start of new arrangements for future trade, 1 January 2021. The UK calls it an "implementation phase". It will only come into effect as part of a withdrawal agreement from the EU.
Treaty: An agreement made under international law between countries or international organisations. A treaty is a bit like a contract, both sides agree to abide by certain terms and conditions and if either side breaks the deal they can be held liable. The Lisbon Treaty (see separate entry) is the international agreement that forms the constitutional basis, or the main principles, for the EU.
TTIP: Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership: a proposed trade agreement between the European Union and the United States. The deal was put on hold by the US shortly after the election of Donald Trump as US President.
White paper: A white paper is a report produced by the government outlining how it is going to approach a particular issue. The government published a white paper on the UK's future relationship with the EU in July 2018 in which it spelled out its proposals for free trade with Europe, new arrangements for financial services, like banking, as well as plans to allow trade to continue to flow between Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Withdrawal agreement: Theresa May has agreed a deal with the EU on the terms of the UK's departure. It includes how much money the UK must pay to the EU as a settlement, details of the transition period, and citizens' rights. It also covers the so-called 'backstop', which ensures that no hard border exists between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland after Brexit.
WTO rules: The World Trade Organization is a global organisation dealing with the rules of trade between states. If the UK were to leave the European Union with no new trading relationship agreed, UK trade with European Union member states would have to abide by WTO rules, significantly increasing the costs to business.
