Economy and Fair Work Committee
Common Frameworks
Background
Common Framework on Late Payment (commercial transactions)
During membership of the European Union, the UK Government and devolved administrations were required to comply with EU law. This ensured that in many policy areas, including some that were devolved, a broadly consistent approach was developed. Following exit from the EU in January 2020, the UK entered a transition period that ended on 31 December 2020. Throughout the transition period, all parts of the UK had to comply with EU law. Following the end of the transition period, the UK and devolved governments agreed to work together to establish common approaches in some areas previously governed by EU law but that otherwise are within devolved competence, knows as “Common Frameworks”.
The intention of the frameworks is to set out a common UK approach and how it will be operated and governed. Common frameworks may consist of common goals, minimum or maximum standards, harmonisation, limits on action, or mutual recognition, depending on the policy area and the objectives being pursued. Frameworks may be implemented by legislation, executive action, memorandum of understand or by other means depending on the policy context.
Development of common frameworks has taken place against the backdrop of a number of principles including that they would be established, where necessary, to enable the functioning of the UK internal market, while acknowledging policy divergence, to ensure compliance with international obligations and to ensure that the UK can negotiate, enter into and implement new trade agreements and international treaties and respecting the devolution settlements.
The agreed provisional framework for Late Payment (commercial transactions) was published in December 2021. The Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise wrote to the Committee on 24 January 2022 with details of the agreed common framework.
Common Framework on Public Procurement
During membership of the European Union, the UK Government and devolved administrations were required to comply with EU law. This ensured that in many policy areas, including some that were devolved, a broadly consistent approach was developed. Following exit from the EU in January 2020, the UK entered a transition period that ended on 31 December 2020. Throughout the transition period, all parts of the UK had to comply with EU law. Following the end of the transition period, the UK and devolved governments agreed to work together to establish common approaches in some areas previously governed by EU law but that otherwise are within devolved competence, knows as “Common Frameworks”.
The intention of the frameworks is to set out a common UK approach and how it will be operated and governed. Common frameworks may consist of common goals, minimum or maximum standards, harmonisation, limits on action, or mutual recognition, depending on the policy area and the objectives being pursued. Frameworks may be implemented by legislation, executive action, memorandum of understand or by other means depending on the policy context.
Development of common frameworks has taken place against the backdrop of a number of principles including that they would be established, where necessary, to enable the functioning of the UK internal market, while acknowledging policy divergence, to ensure compliance with international obligations and to ensure that the UK can negotiate, enter into and implement new trade agreements and international treaties and respecting the devolution settlements.
The agreed provisional framework for procurement was published in January 2022. The Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise wrote to the Committee on 2 February 2022 with details of the agreed common framework.
The Committee considered its approach to scrutiny of this common framework at the meeting on 2 March 2022.