EU Law Scrutiny Tracker

Under the terms of the Windsor Framework (previously called the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland), Northern Ireland applies EU law relating to the single market for goods. In March 2023, the EU and UK agreed new procedures for the Northern Ireland Assembly regarding this EU law.

The Stormont Brake may apply to an EU act, which AMENDS OR REPLACES AN ACT which already applies in Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework. There are various conditions related to its use.

Applicability motions apply when the EU adopts a NEW ACT, which it considers to be within the scope of the Windsor Framework. Read more about applicability motions.

A decision of the EU-UK Joint Committee [External link] makes provision for the Stormont Brake, by adding Article 13(3a) to the Windsor Framework. Schedule 6B of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 [External link] contains additional details about the Stormont Brake; makes provision for applicability motions; and establishes the Windsor Framework Democratic Scrutiny Committee (DSC). The Committee’s functions include the examination and consideration of new EU acts and replacement EU acts.

➡️ Learn more about the terminology and information on this page.

 


 

EU laws considered at the Assembly

The table below sets out the EU legislation (or proposed legislation) which has been notified (or is expected to be notified) to the NI Assembly under the new arrangements relating to the Windsor Framework. Follow the links to read more about the Assembly's consideration of this legislation.

 

Type EU Law or proposed EU lawStatus

Deforestation Regulation - date of application

(Environment)

""Published Replacement

Regulation (EU) 2024/3234 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 December 2024 amending Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 as regards provisions relating to the date of application The DSC decided not to hold an inquiry into the replacement EU act.

Construction products

(Marketing standards)

 

""Published Replacement

Regulation (EU) 2024/3110 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2024 laying down harmonised rules for the marketing of construction products and repealing Regulation (EU) No 305/2011 The Committee is holding an inquiry into the replacement EU act- take part in the online survey.

Plant health controls 

(Agriculture)

 

""Published Replacement

Regulation (EU) 2024/3115 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2024 amending Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 on plant health controls and reporting obligations The Committee is holding an inquiry into the replacement EU act- take part in the online survey

Classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures

(Chemicals and related)

 

""Published Replacement

Regulation (EU) 2024/2865 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2024 amending Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures The DSC published its inquiry report on 19 December 2024.

Cyber Resilience (Technology)

 

""Published Replacement

Regulation (EU) 2024/2847 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2024 on horizontal cybersecurity requirements for products with digital elements and amending Regulations (EU) No 168/2013 and (EU) No 2019/1020 and Directive (EU) 2020/1828 (Cyber Resilience Act) ONLY ARTICLES 66 & 68 The DSC decided not to hold an inquiry into the replacement EU act.

Liability for defective products

(Consumer protection)

 

""Published Replacement

 

Directive (EU) 2024/2853 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2024 on liability for defective products and repealing Council Directive 85/374/EEC The DSC published its inquiry report on 19 December 2024.

Internal market emergency and resilience

(Crisis management)

 

""Published Replacement

Regulation (EU) 2024/2747 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 October 2024 establishing a framework of measures related to an internal market emergency and to the resilience of the internal market and amending Council Regulation (EC) No 2679/98 (Internal Market Emergency and Resilience Act) The DSC decided not to hold an inquiry into the replacement EU act.

Internal market emergency and resilience

(Crisis management)

 

""Published Replacement

Regulation (EU) 2024/2748 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 October 2024 amending Regulations (EU) No 305/2011, (EU) 2016/424, (EU) 2016/425, (EU) 2016/426, (EU) 2023/988 and (EU) 2023/1230 as regards emergency procedures for the conformity assessment, presumption of conformity, adoption of common specifications and market surveillance due to an internal market emergency The DSC decided not to hold an inquiry into the replacement EU act.

Internal market emergency and resilience

(Crisis management)

 

""Published Replacement

Directive (EU) 2024/2749 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 October 2024 amending Directives 2000/14/EC, 2006/42/EC, 2010/35/EU, 2014/29/EU, 2014/30/EU, 2014/33/EU, 2014/34/EU, 2014/35/EU, 2014/53/EU and 2014/68/EU as regards emergency procedures for the conformity assessment, presumption of conformity, adoption of common specifications and market surveillance due to an internal market emergency The DSC decided not to hold an inquiry into the replacement EU act.

Reporting requirements

(Marketing standards)

 

""Published Replacement

Directive (EU) 2024/2839 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2024 amending Directives 1999/2/EC, 2000/14/EC, 2011/24/EU and 2014/53/EU as regards certain reporting requirements in the fields of food and food ingredients, outdoor noise, patients’ rights, and radio equipment  The DSC decided not to hold an inquiry into the replacement EU act.

Reporting requirements

(Marketing standards)

 

""Published Replacement

Regulation (EU) 2024/2838 amending Regulations (EU) No 1379/2013, (EU) No 167/2013 and (EU) No 168/2013 as regards certain reporting requirements

The DSC decided not to hold an inquiry into the replacement EU act.

Packaging and packaging waste (Environment)

 

""Proposed Replacement

COM/2022/677 Proposal for a Regulation on packaging and packaging waste, amending Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 and Directive (EU) 2019/904, and repealing Directive 94/62/EC

The proposed act was identified as a priority during the Committee's forward work planning exercise.

Labelling of fertilisers  (Agriculture)

 

""Published Replacement

Regulation (EU) 2024/2516 amending Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 as regards the digital labelling of EU fertilising products The DSC decided not to hold an inquiry into the replacement EU act.

Cats and dogs

(Animal welfare)

 

Proposed New
Proposal for Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the welfare of dogs and cats and their traceability The DSC is monitoring the progress of this proposed EU act.

Substances of human origin

(Health)

 

""Published Replacement

 

Regulation (EU) 2024/1938 on standards of quality and safety for substances of human origin intended for human application and repealing Directives 2002/98/EC and 2004/23/EC The DSC published its inquiry report on 15 August 2024.

Medical devices

(Health)

 

""Published Replacement

 

Regulation (EU) 2024/1860 amending Regulations (EU) 2017/745 and (EU) 2017/746 as regards a gradual roll-out of Eudamed, the obligation to inform in case of interruption or discontinuation of supply, and transitional provisions for certain in vitro diagnostic medical devices The DSC decided not to hold an inquiry into the replacement EU act.

Dental amalgam

(Health/Environment)

 

""Published Replacement

Regulation (EU) 2024/1849 amending Regulation (EU) 2017/852 on mercury as regards dental amalgam and other mercury-added products subject to export, import and manufacturing restrictions The DSC published its inquiry report on 15 August 2024.

Ecodesign for sustainable products

(Economy/Environment)

 

""Published Replacement

Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 establishing a framework for the setting of ecodesign requirements for sustainable products, amending Directive (EU) 2020/1828 and Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 and repealing Directive 2009/125/EC The DSC decided not to hold an inquiry into the replacement EU act.

Artifical intelligence (Technology)

 

""

Published Replacement

Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 laying down harmonised rules on artificial intelligence and amending Regulations (EC) No 300/2008, (EU) No 167/2013, (EU) No 168/2013, (EU) 2018/858, (EU) 2018/1139 and (EU) 2019/2144 and Directives 2014/90/EU, (EU) 2016/797 and (EU) 2020/1828 (Artificial Intelligence Act) The DSC decided not to hold an inquiry into the replacement EU act.

Vehicle emissions (Environment)

 

""Published Replacement

Regulation (EU) 2024/1610 amending Regulation (EU) 2019/1242 as regards strengthening the CO2 emission performance standards for new heavy-duty vehicles and integrating reporting obligations, amending Regulation (EU) 2018/858 and repealing Regulation (EU) 2018/956 The DSC decided not to hold an inquiry into the replacement EU act.

Breakfast foods

(Food Standards)

 

""

Published Replacement

Directive (EU) 2024/1438 amending Council Directives 2001/110/EC relating to honey, 2001/112/EC relating to fruit juices and certain similar products intended for human consumption, 2001/113/EC relating to fruit jams, jellies and marmalades and sweetened chestnut purée intended for human consumption, and 2001/114/EC relating to certain partly or wholly dehydrated preserved milk for human consumption The DSC decided not to hold an inquiry into the replacement EU act.

Vehicle standards (Environment)

 

""Published Replacement

Regulation (EU) 2024/1257 on type-approval of motor vehicles and engines and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles, with respect to their emissions and battery durability (Euro 7), amending Regulation (EU) 2018/858 of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Regulations (EC) No 715/2007 and (EC) No 595/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Commission Regulation (EU) No 582/2011, Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/1151, Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/2400 and Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1362 The DSC decided not to hold an inquiry into the replacement EU act.

Critical raw materials

(Trade/Environment)

 

""

Published Replacement

Regulation (EU) 2024/1252 establishing a framework for ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials and amending Regulations (EU) No 168/2013, (EU) 2018/858, (EU) 2018/1724 and (EU) 2019/1020 The DSC published its inquiry report on 13 June 2024.

Waste exports

(Environment)

 

""Published Replacement

Regulation (EU) 2024/1157 on shipments of waste, amending Regulations (EU) No 1257/2013 and (EU) 2020/1056 and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1013/2006

The DSC published its inquiry report on 6 June 2024.

Wine, spirit drinks and agricultural products

(Intellectual Property)

 

""Published Replacement

Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 on the geographical indications for wine, spirit drinks and agricultural products, as well as traditional specialities guaranteed and optional quality terms for agricultural products, amending Regulations (EU) No 1308/2013, (EU) 2019/787 and (EU) 2019/1753 and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012

The DSC published its inquiry report on 30 May 2024.

Ozone-depleting substances

(Environment)

 

""Published Replacement

Regulation (EU) 2024/590 on substances that deplete the ozone layer, and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1005/2009

The DSC agreed not to make a decision on whether to hold an inquiry.

Greenhouse gases

(Environment)

 

""Published Replacement

Regulation (EU) 2024/573 on fluorinated greenhouse gases, amending Directive (EU) 2019/1937 and repealing Regulation (EU) No 517/2014 The DSC agreed not to make a decision on whether to hold an inquiry.

Pet food

(Organic Production)

 

Published New

Regulation (EU) 2023/2419 on the labelling of organic pet food

The Assembly agreed an 'applicability motion' on this EU law with cross-community support.

Craft and industrial products

(Intellectual Property)

 

Published New

Regulation (EU) 2023/2411 on the protection of geographical indications for craft and industrial products and amending Regulations (EU) 2017/1001 and (EU) 2019/1753

The Assembly did not agree an 'applicability motion' on this EU law.

Seed production in Moldova and Ukraine

(Plant health/trade)

 

""Proposed Replacement

Proposal for a DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL amending Council Decision 2003/17/EC as regards the equivalence of field inspections carried out in the Republic of Moldova on fodder plant seed-producing crops and on the equivalence of fodder plant seed produced in the Republic of Moldova, and as regards the equivalence of field inspections carried out in Ukraine on beet seed-producing crops and oil plant seed-producing crops and on the equivalence of beet seed and oil plant seed produced in Ukraine

The DSC is monitoring the progress of this proposed EU act.