Negotiation Nation:
Brexit means Britain needs
to rethink over 600 treaties

The U.K. must rethink 600+ treaties

Britain is marching itself out of the European Union, a divorce with major implications for trade and the country's economy.

One consequence: Leaving means that Britain will no longer be party to over 600 treaties that the EU has with non-European nations on issues ranging from aviation rules to nuclear imports.

The U.K. has for decades relied on the EU and its bureaucrats to do the hard work of negotiating treaties. After Brexit, the country will have to manage international relationships on its own.

It will be starting from scratch.

The lost treaties cover at least 150 countries and deal with issues related to international trade, energy, fisheries, agriculture, research and transportation. Imports of Swiss watches, Cuban cigars and South African wines are all governed by international treaties.

The government must now identify where new treaties are needed, and the most expedient way of dealing with the looming marathon of talks.

If new deals are not struck, trade with Europe and the rest of the world would revert to the rules of the World Trade Organization. The costs of doing business and moving goods would increase.

Britain faces a hard deadline: It will leave the EU in March 2019 unless all 27 remaining members of the EU agree to extend negotiations.

Here's a look at the treaties that will be lost:

The U.K. has treaties with at least 150 governments via the EU.

Treaties by government:
6 with Albania

  • Country

  • Subject

  • Type

  • Signed

  • AlbaniaExternal relationsBilateral1992

    Agreement between the European Economic Community and the Republic of Albania, on trade and commercial and economic cooperation
    View summary

  • AlbaniaEnergyMultilateral2005

    Treaty establishing the Energy Community
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  • AlbaniaExternal relationsBilateral2008

    Protocol to the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Albania, of the other part, to take account of the accession of the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania to the European Union
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  • AlbaniaEnergyMultilateral1998

    Amendment to the trade-related provisions of the Energy Charter Treaty (*)
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  • AlbaniaAir transportMultilateral2002

    Protocol on the accession of the European Community to the Eurocontrol International Convention relating to Cooperation for the Safety of Air Navigation of 13 December 1960, as variously amended and as consolidated by the Protocol of 27 June 1997 (*)
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  • AlbaniaAir transportMultilateral2006

    Multilateral Agreement between the European Community and its Member States, the Republic of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Bulgaria, the Republic of Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the Republic of Iceland, the Republic of Montenegro, the Kingdom of Norway, Romania, the Republic of Serbia and the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo on the establishment of a European Common Aviation Area (*)
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CNN's Tal Yellin and Ivory Sherman contributed to this report; Published June 20, 2017