What is the transition period?

The transition period is the 11-month grace period agreed by the UK and the EU following the UK’s exit from the bloc on 31 January 2020. During that time, despite no longer being a member state, the UK remained part of the EU single market and customs union, and EU law — and by extension the authority of the European Court of Justice — continued to apply. However, the UK no longer retained political representation within the EU institutions. The purpose of transition was to allow time for individuals, businesses and governments to adapt before new legal, economic and security arrangements were put in place from January 2021. It is also during this period that the UK and the EU negotiated on their future relationship.