Joint statement of the Financial Provisions Specialised Committee – 27 April 2022

The fifth meeting of the Specialised Committee on Financial Provisions (SCFP) was held today, 27 April 2022. The meeting was co-chaired by officials from the European Commission and the UK Government. This Committee is assigned by the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee to undertake work related to the implementation of the financial provisions in Part V of the Withdrawal Agreement.

The EU and the UK exchanged updates on the tasks carried out under the remit of this Specialised Committee. Both parties noted the positive engagement on the annual reporting package required by the Withdrawal Agreement. This second reporting package was provided by the European Commission at the end of March. The parties also noted the same engagement on the communication of 8 April of the third document specifying the relevant amounts to be paid in 2022 in relation to the settlement of the UK’s net liabilities under the Withdrawal Agreement. The payment of these amounts will be made in four monthly instalments, with the first due date set on 30 June 2022, in accordance with the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement. The European Commission will continue submitting these payment communications to the UK twice annually, in April and September, until outstanding net liabilities are extinguished. The EU and UK sides reaffirmed their commitment to complying with their legal obligations under the Withdrawal Agreement.

The two sides appreciated the ongoing good cooperation in this field, and committed to continue working collaboratively on a range of implementation issues, in recognition of the mutual benefit of a smooth implementation of the financial provisions of the Withdrawal Agreement.