Wales and the EU: What Does the Vote to Leave the EU Mean for Wales?
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Research Briefing Wales and the EU: What does the vote to leave the EU mean for Wales? Produced by: Research Service, Legal Service and EU Office Date: June 2016 National Assembly for Wales Research Service The National Assembly for Wales is the democratically elected body that represents the interests of Wales and its people, makes laws for Wales and holds the Welsh Government to account. Produced by: Research Service, Legal Service and EU Office Date: June 2016 Paper Number: 16-037 Contact Us EU Office, Research Service, National Assembly for Wales, National Assembly for Wales, Wales House, Tŷ Hywel 6th Floor, Cardiff Bay, 11 Rond Point Schuman, Cardiff, Brussels, CF99 1NA Belgium B-1040 q: 0032 (0)2 226 6692 q: 0032 (0)466 315750 q: 0300 200 6298 E: [email protected] E: [email protected] y: Assembly.Wales/InBrief y: Assembly.Wales/InBrief a: @SeneddResearch a: @SeneddResearch a: Assembly.Wales/Research a: Assembly.Wales/Research © National Assembly for Wales Commission Copyright 2016 The text of this document may be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium providing that it is reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading or derogatory context. The material must be acknowledged as copyright of the National Assembly for Wales Commission and the title of the document specified. Research Briefing Wales and the EU: What does the vote to leave the EU mean for Wales? Following the leave vote in the EU Referendum held on 23 June we have prepared this Research Paper to consider the implications this has for Wales and for the work of the Assembly and Welsh Government. National Assembly for Wales Research Service Contents Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 Wales and the EU ............................................................................................................ 5 What the EU is and how it works ......................................................................................................................... 5 EU decision-making cycles ................................................................................................................................... 7 Relevance to Wales and the UK .......................................................................................................................... 7 EU and devolved competences .......................................................................................................................... 8 Welsh influence and engagement with EU decision-making ................................................................. 8 Engagement by the Assembly ..........................................................................................................................10 European Parliament and the Welsh MEPs ..................................................................................................11 Subsidiarity monitoring........................................................................................................................................11 Partnership and networking ...............................................................................................................................12 Withdrawing from the EU .......................................................................................... 14 Notification ...............................................................................................................................................................14 Negotiation ...............................................................................................................................................................15 Involvement of devolved institutions in negotiations .............................................................................16 Participation in the negotiation process .......................................................................................................17 Alternative models to EU membership ................................................................ 19 The Norway Model .................................................................................................................................................19 Negotiated bilateral agreements .....................................................................................................................19 World Trade Organisation-only Model ............................................................................................................20 Non EU-models for international trade relations .......................................................................................20 Legal implications of vote to Leave ....................................................................... 22 Implications for legislation in force .................................................................................................................22 Impact of a vote to leave on the Wales Bill 2016 .......................................................................................23 Impact of leaving the EU on devolved policy areas in Wales ........................ 24 Agriculture and rural affairs (including animal welfare) ...........................................................................24 Fisheries and marine .............................................................................................................................................25 Cohesion policy (Structural Funds) .................................................................................................................26 Environment.............................................................................................................................................................27 Energy and climate change ................................................................................................................................29 Health and social care policy .............................................................................................................................31 Education ..................................................................................................................................................................32 Welsh language, culture and tourism .............................................................................................................33 Single Market ...........................................................................................................................................................34 Trade ...........................................................................................................................................................................34 Connectivity .............................................................................................................................................................36 Migration and the EU ............................................................................................................................................36 EU Funding and access to European Investment Bank .................................. 39 Background ..............................................................................................................................................................39 Wales’ net contribution to the EU budget ....................................................................................................40 The possible impact of leaving the EU on funding of Welsh public services ..................................40 EU funding in Wales following leaving the EU .............................................................................................40 European Investment Bank ................................................................................................................................41 Annex 1: Welsh representation and participation at EU level ................................ 42 EU Institutions and Consultative Bodies .......................................................................................................42 Annex 2: Sources and further reading ........................................................................... 44 European Union ......................................................................................................................................................44 UK Government ......................................................................................................................................................44 Reports by UK Parliament/devolved legislatures ......................................................................................44 Academic sources and think tanks .................................................................................................................45 Ireland .........................................................................................................................................................................46 Introduction Following the leave vote in the EU Referendum held on 23 June we have prepared this Research Paper to consider the implications this has for Wales and for the work of the National Assembly for Wales and Welsh Government. It is the first in what we expect to be a regular series of updates as the process of withdrawal unfolds over the coming months and years. The infographic below provides a detailed breakdown of the vote across