International organisations

The Commission published a draft legal text of the withdrawal agreement in February 2018 and an updated draft on 15 March. On 19 March a third text was published which showed where there is full agreement between the EU and the UK, where there is agreement in principle and where there is no agreement. This paper looks at the recent draft, making reference to earlier drafts where relevant.

A Westminster Hall debate on the 'Future of the Commonwealth' is scheduled for Wednesday 21 March 2018 from 2:30-4:00pm. The Member initiating the debate is Richard Graham MP.

This paper looks at the path towards 'sufficient progress' in the first phase of Brexit negotiations and the Joint Report agreed by the UK Government and the EU. It focuses on the three priority areas: citizens' rights, the financial settlement and the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland. The paper also looks at other recent developments and parliamentary consideration of Brexit.

This Debate Pack has been prepared for the debate on 'The Government's review of defence capability', to be held in Westminster Hall on Thursday 19 October 2017, from 3:00pm, and initiated by Marcus Fysh MP.

A simple introduction to the front-line equipment of the UK armed forces. The Government is reviewing its defence capabilities.

Is the UK obliged to defend South Korea? This Commons Library briefing paper looks at the potential implications for the UK of a 1953 Declaration amid rising tensions on the Korean peninsula.

Tensions have risen alarmingly in the Korean peninsula during the course of 2017. North Korea appears to be making faster progress towards having a nuclear weapons system that can reach the US than many observers expected. What have been the responses of the US, China, South Korea and Japan to developments since the beginning of this year?

This page has been prepared for the debate in Westminster Hall on Wednesday 6 September 2017 from 2.30pm to 4.00pm on the ‘International Day of Democracy’. The debate has been initiated by Stuart C. McDonald MP.

What happened at the second round of Brexit negotiations from 17 to 20 July 2017 and what have we learnt? This first phase of the negotiations aims to reach agreement on citizens' rights, the financial settlement and the border between Ireland the Northern Ireland, as well as other separation issues, such as Euratom, EU external agreements and dispute resolution. But there was little evidence of agreement on any of these, and the UK Government has been asked for more clarification at the next round. A lot is at stake, because if sufficient progress isn't made by October, the negotiations will not move on to future relations, an EU-UK trade agreement or transitional arrangements.

This Commons Library briefing gives a short introduction to the 47-member Council of Europe, which is a human rights and democracy organisation, entirely separate from the EU. Its best-known products are the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Court of Human Rights that oversees how the Convention is implemented.

This Debate Pack has been prepared for the general debate on 'Exiting the European Union and sanctions', to be held in the main chamber on Wednesday 19 July 2017

What has the UK Government said about its strategy for the Brexit negotiations? The Prime Minister and the Brexit Secretary have set out their views in speeches and white papers, and now the EU institutions have set out theirs. They often coincide, but there are areas that could be difficult to resolve. This paper summarises the starting points of the UK and the EU institutions at the beginning of the Article 50 process.

What are EU agencies and what do they do? Will the UK be able to participate in their activities after Brexit? And what will happen to the two that are based in the UK? This paper looks at the roles and functions of EU agencies, the issues surrounding the two UK-based agencies, and whether there are options for continued UK participation after Brexit.

A short preview of the NATO summit in Brussels in May 2017 from the House of Commons Library.

What are EU directives and what will happen to them when the UK leaves the EU? This paper looks at EU directives in force and how they are implemented in the UK. This will give some idea of the task ahead for UK legislators.