Foreign Policy Legislation
Legislative framework for international relations, diplomatic affairs, treaties, and overseas development assistance.
The Energy (Euratom Decisions and Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment and Revocation) Regulations 2025
The Energy (Euratom Decisions and Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment and Revocation) Regulations 2025 revoke 37 obsolete instruments, mostly related to the UK's former Euratom membership.
These regulations also revoke legacy transitional provisions concerning environmental assessments for electricity and pipeline works.
The changes simplify UK energy law, remove redundant provisions, and align the legal framework with the post-Brexit regulatory environment.
The Syria (Sanctions) (EU Exit) (Amendment) Regulations 2025
The Syria (Sanctions) (EU Exit) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 amend the 2019 Syria sanctions regulations.
Key changes include updating the definition of the 'Assad regime', revising the regulations' stated purposes to include promoting Syrian peace and accountability for human rights abuses, and altering designation criteria for sanctioned individuals and entities.
The amendments also significantly reduce the scope of sanctions, particularly those limiting trade, financial services, and the aviation sector, to facilitate economic recovery in Syria.
The regulations remove obsolete provisions related to previous sanctions on the Syrian regime and replace references to 'Syrian regime person' with references to a newly defined 'Governing Authority of Syria'.
The Consular Fees (Amendment) Order 2025
The Consular Fees (Amendment) Order 2025, effective April 9th, 2025, amends the Consular Fees Order 2012.
It increases the fees for Emergency Travel Documents and Emergency Passports from £100 and £75 respectively to £125.
The Order applies to England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, and no significant impact on the public, private or voluntary sectors is anticipated.
The Multinational Top-up Tax (Pillar Two Territories, Qualifying Domestic Top-up Taxes and Accredited Qualifying Domestic Top-up Taxes) Regulations 2025
The Multinational Top-up Tax Regulations 2025, effective April 21, 2025, specify territories and domestic taxes aligning with the OECD/G20 Pillar Two model rules.
These rules aim to ensure multinational corporations pay a minimum level of tax, preventing tax avoidance and promoting a fairer system.
The regulations list specific territories and taxes as ‘Pillar Two territories’ and ‘qualifying domestic top-up taxes’ effective from various dates in late 2023 and early 2024, also allowing HMRC to specify additional entities through notice publication.
The Drivers’ Hours and Tachographs (Amendment and Modification) Regulations 2025
These Regulations, effective April 21st, 2025, amend and modify EU regulations on drivers' hours and tachographs to reflect the UK's post-Brexit relationship with the EU, as per the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
Key changes include adjusting the scope of Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 and amending its definition of "special regular passenger services." Furthermore, the regulations modify Regulation (EU) No 165/2014, extending the record-keeping period to 56 days and making consequential amendments to Commission Regulation (EU) 2016/403.
The Double Taxation Relief and International Tax Enforcement (Belarus) (Revocation) Order 2025
This Order, effective April 1st, 2025, revokes the 2018 Double Taxation Relief and International Tax Enforcement agreement between the UK and Belarus.
The revocation applies to income tax, capital gains tax, corporation tax, and comparable Belarusian taxes, impacting tax years 2025-26 onward for income tax and capital gains tax, and financial years beginning April 1st, 2025, onward for corporation tax.
The stated reason for the revocation is not detailed in the Order itself.
The Personal Injuries (Civilians) Scheme (Amendment) Order 2025
The Personal Injuries (Civilians) Scheme (Amendment) Order 2025, effective April 7th, 2025, updates the rates of pensions and allowances payable under the 1983 Scheme to civilians injured or killed during World War II. The amendment replaces the tables in Schedules 3 and 4 outlining these rates, adjusting them to current values.
The order applies to England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
The Immigration (Passenger Transit Visa) (Amendment) Order 2025
The Immigration (Passenger Transit Visa) (Amendment) Order 2025, effective March 13, 2025, adds Trinidad and Tobago to the list of countries whose citizens require a transit visa to pass through the UK without entering.
A transitional provision exempts those who already had bookings for arrival before April 23, 2025, and arrived by that date.
The Order is supported by Sections 41 and 166(3) of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.