Two new digital services have been launched by The National Archives (TNA) to ensure that relevant EU legislation is accessible to the public and to aid legal certainty once the UK leaves the EU. The European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 required TNA to make all EU legislation available online. The two new initiatives ensure that there is a permanent record of the law as it stands at the time of the EU exit, as well as an ongoing service showing changes post-leave.

A comprehensive archive of EU law

The National Archives have launched an online repository containing a comprehensive archive of EU law relevant to the UK, which will be captured through to exit day, and which will allow the public to search for EU legislation, treaties, international agreements and case law. After Brexit day the archive will be frozen, to act as a permanent historical record of the relevant EU documents on the UK exit from the EU.

‘A monumental piece of work on the part of The National Archives’

Announcing the initiative, James Cleverly, minister at the Department for Exiting the EU said that it was ‘a monumental piece of work on the part of The National Archives’ which will provide ‘an invaluable legal reference’.

EU legislation added to legislation.gov.uk

TNA have also launched an updated version of its legislation.gov.uk website, to include information on European laws that are set to be passed into UK statute books after the country leaves the EU, including a timeline of the changes so far. Cleverly said that it will ‘allow the public to locate the law as it applies to them post-exit’ by making it easier for people to find out how EU legislation is being changed by the UK.

National Archives chief executive Jeff James said ‘our aim is to ensure we have both a comprehensive, permanent record of the law at EU exit, and with legislation.gov.uk to provide an ongoing service now and in the future'.

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The government and TNA prepare for EU exit – Department for Exiting the European Union

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