PREAMBLE
THE EUROPEAN UNION AND THE EUROPEAN ATOMIC ENERGY COMMUNITY AND
THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND,
REAFFIRMING their commitment to democratic principles, to the rule of law, to human rights, to countering proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and to the fight against climate change, which constitute essential elements of this and supplementing agreements,
RECOGNISING the importance of global cooperation to address issues of shared interest,
RECOGNISING the importance of transparency in international trade and investment to the benefit of all stakeholders,
SEEKING to establish clear and mutually advantageous rules governing trade and investment between the Parties,
CONSIDERING that in order to guarantee the efficient management and correct interpretation and application of this Agreement and any supplementing agreement as well as compliance with the obligations under those agreements, it is essential to establish provisions ensuring overall governance, in particular dispute settlement and enforcement rules that fully respect the autonomy of the respective legal orders of the Union and of the United Kingdom, as well as the United Kingdom’s status as a country outside the European Union,
BUILDING upon their respective rights and obligations under the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization, done on 15 April 1994, and other multilateral and bilateral instruments of cooperation,
RECOGNISING the Parties’ respective autonomy and rights to regulate within their territories in order to achieve legitimate public policy objectives such as the protection and promotion of public health, social services, public education, safety, the environment including climate change, public morals, social or consumer protection, animal welfare, privacy and data protection and the promotion and protection of cultural diversity, while striving to improve their respective high levels of protection,
BELIEVING in the benefits of a predictable commercial environment that fosters trade and investment between them and prevents distortion of trade and unfair competitive advantages, in a manner conducive to sustainable development in its economic, social and environmental dimensions,
RECOGNISING the need for an ambitious, wide-ranging and balanced economic partnership to be underpinned by a level playing field for open and fair competition and sustainable development, through effective and robust frameworks for subsidies and competition and a commitment to uphold their respective high levels of protection in the areas of labour and social standards, environment, the fight against climate change, and taxation,
RECOGNISING the need to ensure an open and secure market for businesses, including medium-sized enterprises, and their goods and services through addressing unjustified barriers to trade and investment,
NOTING the importance of facilitating new opportunities for businesses and consumers through digital trade, and addressing unjustified barriers to data flows and trade enabled by electronic means, whilst respecting the Parties’ personal data protection rules,
DESIRING that this Agreement contributes to consumer welfare through policies ensuring a high level of consumer protection and economic well-being, as well as encouraging cooperation between relevant authorities,
CONSIDERING the importance of cross-border connectivity by air, by road and by sea, for passengers and for goods, and the need to ensure high standards in the provision of transportation services between the Parties,
RECOGNISING the benefits of trade and investment in energy and raw materials and the importance of supporting the delivery of cost efficient, clean and secure energy supplies to the Union and the United Kingdom,
NOTING the interest of the Parties in establishing a framework to facilitate technical cooperation and develop new trading arrangements for interconnectors which deliver robust and efficient outcomes for all timeframes,
NOTING that cooperation and trade between the Parties in these areas should be based on fair competition in energy markets and non-discriminatory access to networks,
RECOGNISING the benefits of sustainable energy, renewable energy, in particular offshore generation in the North Sea, and energy efficiency,
DESIRING to promote the peaceful use of the waters adjacent to their coasts and the optimum and equitable utilisation of the marine living resources in those waters including the continued sustainable management of the shared stocks,
NOTING that, the United Kingdom withdrew from the European Union and that with effect from 1 January 2021, the United Kingdom is an independent coastal State with corresponding rights and obligations under international law,
AFFIRMING that the sovereign rights of the coastal States exercised by the Parties for the purpose of exploring, exploiting, conserving and managing the living resources in their waters should be conducted pursuant to and in accordance with the principles of international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982,
RECOGNISING the importance of the coordination of social security rights enjoyed by persons moving between the Parties to work, to stay or to reside, as well as the rights enjoyed by their family members and survivors,
CONSIDERING that cooperation in areas of shared interest, such as science, research and innovation, nuclear research or space, in the form of the participation of the United Kingdom in the corresponding Union programmes under fair and appropriate conditions will benefit both Parties,
CONSIDERING that cooperation between the United Kingdom and the Union relating to the prevention, investigation, detection or prosecution of criminal offences and to the execution of criminal penalties, including the safeguarding against and prevention of threats to public security, will enable the security of the United Kingdom and the Union to be strengthened,
DESIRING that an agreement is concluded between the United Kingdom and the Union to provide a legal base for such cooperation,
ACKNOWLEDGING that the Parties may supplement this Agreement with other agreements forming an integral part of their overall bilateral relations as governed by this Agreement and that the Agreement on Security Procedures for Exchanging and Protecting Classified Information is concluded as such a supplementing agreement, and enables the exchange of classified information between the Parties under this Agreement or any other supplementing agreement,