The Government’s proposal to review, reject or replace some 4,000 laws, which were implemented during the UK’s membership of the EU, could have ramifications for businesses across the UK.
The review would see possible new rules implemented, and current laws dropped or amended.
If the legislation is enacted, all retained EU law must be transferred into UK law by the end of 2023 or it will no longer be law.
One of the key areas for businesses is employment-related law. This could affect widely known legislation such as the Working Time Regulations 1998, the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE), and Agency Worker Regulations.
The Act would allow amendments by ministers to any EU-retained law with little or no oversight from Parliament, although Primary legislation would not be affected.
Uncertainty remains about what precisely will or won’t happen concerning retained EU laws. On one hand, there could be a wholesale overhaul of law or to a large extent nothing may change significantly.
The fact that there is an option to extend dealing with this legislation until 23 June 2026, complicates things even more.
We will continue to keep you up to date on changing legislation in this area, but if you would like tailored legal advice, please get in touch.
