| 释义 |
Internal Market Act 2020
An Act of Parliament designed to prevent the emergence of trade or regulatory barriers between the four constituent nations of the UK in the wake of Brexit. In particular, the Act was intended to meet concerns about the Northern Ireland Protocol appended to the UK–EU Withdrawal Agreement; this left Northern Ireland as a de facto member of the EU Single Market, thus creating a customs and regulatory border between the province and the rest of the UK. In the event, the government was obliged to withdraw some clauses relating to Northern Ireland, as it was argued that these potentially breached international law by empowering ministers to override the UK’s obligations under the Withdrawal Agreement. The Act, which commenced from the ending of the post-Brexit implementation period on 31 December 2020, has also been criticized by the Scottish and Welsh Parliaments for effectively undermining the authority of the devolved institutions. |