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European Communities Act 1972 (Repeal) Bill

A Bill to repeal the European Communities Act 1972 and related legislation; and for connected purposes.

Originating House

House of Commons

Last Updated

2 May 2012

In Plain English

AI-generated

This bill would repeal the European Communities Act 1972 and related legislation, removing the legal basis that gives EU law effect in the UK. In effect, it would end the automatic primacy of EU law in UK domestic law once enacted. The bill does not specify replacement legislation, so further measures would be needed to preserve or replace rights and rules previously derived from EU law.

Key Points

Repeals the European Communities Act 1972 and related legislation that enable EU law to operate in UK law.
Ends the automatic primacy of EU law in UK domestic law; future domestic legislation would govern these areas.
Could affect rights and rules that currently come from EU law, impacting individuals, businesses and public authorities; replacement or preserving measures would be needed.

Who is affected?

UK residents and businesses relying on EU-derived rights or subject to EU-derived rulesPublic authorities, regulators and courts applying EU-derived law in the UKEU citizens living in the UK and UK citizens living elsewhere in the EU who may be affected by changes to rights and rules

Generated 21 February 2026

Updates & Documents

News (1)

News - European Communities Act 1972 (Repeal)

1 Jan 1970

The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress.

Parliamentary Votes (0)

No recorded votes for this bill yet.

European Communities Act 1972 (Repeal) Bill | TrackPolitics