Joint statement issued by UK and EU following the Sovereign Base Areas Specialised Committee meeting on 18 July 2022

The European Commission and the UK Government co-chaired the fourth meeting of the Specialized Committee, where topics pertaining to the Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus were discussed.

Following the fourth meeting of the Withdrawal Agreement Specialized Committee on the Sovereign Base Areas of the United Kingdom in Cyprus, the UK and EU released this joint statement:

“The fourth meeting of the Specialised Committee was held on 18 July 2022 in Brussels, co-chaired by officials from the European Commission and the UK Government.

“The Committee was established by the Withdrawal Agreement to facilitate the implementation and application of the Protocol.

“The EU and the UK reviewed the operational phase of the implementation of the Protocol since its entry into effect on 1 January 2021.

“Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to its smooth implementation and agreed to continue technical discussions with the objective of reaching a common understanding on the correct implementation of the Protocol in the area of fisheries (Article 6 of the Protocol).

“The co-chairs agreed that the technical discussions should include legal experts from both sides and be completed by the autumn. The Specialised Committee will revert to this issue immediately afterwards.”