Exiting the EU
On 1 January 1973 the UK joined the European Economic Community, which has since evolved to become today’s EU. As a condition of EU membership, the UK was required to give effect to EU law in the UK. This was achieved through the European Communities Act 1972 ("the ECA") which was the principal piece of domestic legislation passed by the UK Parliament which provided for EU Regulations to take direct effect in UK law and conferred a delegated power (section 2(2)) by which EU Directives and other pieces of EU legislation could be transposed into UK law through domestic regulations.
	Section 1 of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 ("EUWA 2018") repealed the ECA on exit day (31st January 2020) but the ECA continued to have effect until the IP completion day (31st December 2021) by virtue of section 1A of the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) 2020).
	The European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) 2020 received Royal Assent on 24 January 2020. The Act implements the Withdrawal Agreement, as agreed between the UK and the EU. The Act provides that new pieces of directly applicable EU law that are introduced during the transition period will continue to apply automatically within the UK, in line with Part 4 of the Withdrawal Agreement. It also inserted section 1A into the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 to save and amend the ECA so that it continues to have effect in domestic law, as amended, during the transition period.