British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is preparing legislation that would allow the UK to adopt new EU laws without full parliamentary votes, aiming to speed alignment with European rules in key areas such as trade, energy and food standards.
The proposed legislation would create a fast-track system enabling ministers to introduce new rules as secondary legislation, reducing scrutiny by MPs and peers.
The government argues the move would make it easier for the UK to “dynamically” align with evolving European standards, particularly in sectors linked to future agreements with the EU, including food regulation, carbon pricing and electricity trading.
Under the plan, Parliament would still have “a role” in examining new measures but its ability to amend or block them would be more limited than under full legislative votes.
Ministers say closer alignment with EU rules is necessary to reduce trade barriers and support economic stability, especially amid ongoing global uncertainty.
Speaking in Parliament, Keir Starmer said the economic and security benefits of rebuilding ties with Europe were “too big to ignore”, pointing to recent global shocks including Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine.
He also cited instability in international relations, including the policies of Donald Trump, as a reason for strengthening cooperation with European partners.
However, the proposals have drawn strong criticism from opposition parties, including the Conservatives and Reform UK, who argue the changes could weaken parliamentary sovereignty by shifting more power to ministers.
Concerns have also been raised over scrutiny, particularly after Labour abolished the Commons committee that previously examined new EU legislation.
The approach would mirror processes used before Brexit, when the UK regularly adopted EU laws to meet its obligations as a member state, but without having a vote in shaping those rules.
The legislation is expected to be introduced later this year, setting up a renewed political debate over the UK’s post-Brexit relationship with the European Union.
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Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 15th of July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Britain will introduce a default overnight curfew on social media apps for 16 and 17-year-olds, expanding planned restrictions aimed at reducing the impact of excessive screen use on young people.
The United Kingdom, the European Union, Spain and Gibraltar have formally signed a treaty establishing new arrangements for movement and border procedures between Gibraltar and Spain.
The United States carried out a third consecutive night of airstrikes against Iran, targeting military capabilities around the Strait of Hormuz as Donald Trump announced the reinstatement of a blockade on Iranian shipping and proposed a 20% fee on cargo passing through the strategic waterway.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced the reimposition of a U.S. naval blockade on all Iranian ports and warned that power plants and bridges could be targeted next week unless Tehran returns to negotiations.
The United States and Iran have significantly escalated their conflict, exchanging heavy missile and drone strikes across the Gulf region. Iran claims it has once again closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping route.
The death toll from the fire at a live music pub in Bangkok has climbed to 32 after two more victims died from their injuries, according to Thailand's Police Hospital.
Ukraine and Russia exchanged fresh attacks on Tuesday, with Kyiv targeting shipping and energy infrastructure inside Russia while Moscow launched another large-scale missile and drone assault on Ukrainian cities.
Ten EU countries, led by Italy and Poland, have urged the European Union to reconsider a new carbon price on fuel as part of a wider overhaul of the bloc's carbon market, according to a joint statement seen by Reuters.
The European Union (EU) has announced an additional €20 million ($22.8 million) in humanitarian assistance for Venezuela after last month's deadly earthquakes, which killed more than 4,700 people.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced the reimposition of a U.S. naval blockade on all Iranian ports and warned that power plants and bridges could be targeted next week unless Tehran returns to negotiations.
India's investigation into last year's Air India crash that killed 260 people has entered its final stages, with investigators completing a transcript of the cockpit voice recorder and carrying out a psychological autopsy as they work towards a final report.
The Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is spreading faster than efforts to contain it, global humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has warned, calling for an urgent expansion of containment and care measures.
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