What does the UKEU Trade and Cooperation Agreement mean for the level playing field?
The UK\u2013EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) reflects the government\u2019s decision to prioritise regulatory autonomy over access to the EU single market.\n\nHowever, the TCA contains a complex set of \u2018level playing field\u2019 provisions \u2013 designed to ensure fair competition between the EU and the UK \u2013 that could limit the government\u2019s room for manoeuvre. These include commitments not to regress from labour, social, environmental and climate standards, and to control subsidies. The deal also allows either side to take \u2018rebalancing measures\u2019 if material impacts on trade or investment arise as a result of significant divergence.\n\nHow constraining are these restrictions? How will both sides approach disputes under the agreement? And how will the provisions of the agreement be interpreted in the years ahead?\n\nTo discuss these questions and more, we were joined by an expert panel:\n\nProfessor David Collins, Professor of International Economic Law at City, University of London\nDr Professor Holger Hestermeyer, Professor of International and EU law at King\u2019s College London\nAnneli Howard, Barrister at Monckton Chambers\nDr Totis Kotsonis, Partner at Pinsent Masons LLP\n\nThe event was chaired by Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government