What are the EU and the Council of Europe, and how has the UK's relationship with Europe changed since Brexit?
The different roles of the European Union and the Council of Europe, and how the UK's relationship with the EU has changed after Brexit as a result of decisions about migration, fishing, travel and trade.
A focused answer for Edexcel GCSE Citizenship Studies on the different roles of the European Union and the Council of Europe, and how the UK's relationship with the EU has changed after Brexit in areas such as migration, fishing, travel and trade.
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What this dot point is asking
Edexcel wants you to know the different roles of the European Union and the Council of Europe, and to understand how the UK's relationship with the EU changed after Brexit in areas such as migration, fishing, travel and trade. This Theme D topic (Paper 2 Section C) is tested through "Explain" tasks on the difference between the EU and the Council of Europe and through 12-mark evaluations of the effects of leaving the EU. The examiner rewards the crucial distinction between the EU (which the UK has left) and the Council of Europe (which the UK remains in), and a balanced, neutral account of post-Brexit changes.
The European Union and the Council of Europe
These two organisations are different, and confusing them is one of the most common and costly errors in the whole course. The EU is an economic and political union: members trade freely in a single market, cooperate on many policies, and accept common rules and institutions. The UK was a member but, following the 2016 referendum, left the EU (Brexit). The Council of Europe is a separate and larger organisation, not part of the EU, whose focus is upholding human rights, democracy and the rule of law across Europe. It created the European Convention on Human Rights, enforced by the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, and the UK remains a member of it even after leaving the EU. Edexcel commonly asks you to explain the difference, so be clear: the EU is about economic and political union (UK out); the Council of Europe is about human rights (UK in).
How the UK's relationship with the EU changed after Brexit
The specification (updated to reflect Brexit) asks you to understand these changes neutrally. On migration, free movement of people between the UK and the EU ended; EU citizens no longer have an automatic right to live and work in the UK, which is now governed by a points-based immigration system, and UK citizens face new rules to live and work in the EU. On fishing, the UK gained more control over access to its own waters, an area of detailed negotiation. On travel, there are new arrangements for passports, border checks and limits on how long visitors can stay. On trade, single-market membership was replaced by a trade agreement with new customs checks and paperwork for goods moving between the UK and the EU. Whether these changes are good or bad is contested, so present them as changes and describe the debate without taking sides.
Weighing the effects neutrally
The effects of Brexit are politically contested, and Edexcel marks this topic impartially, so your job is to describe and weigh, not to argue for one side. Supporters of leaving emphasise greater control: the UK can set its own laws, control migration, make its own trade deals and control its fishing waters. Critics emphasise new barriers and costs: leaving created new obstacles to trade and travel with the EU, ended free movement (affecting workers, students and businesses that relied on it), and added paperwork. A strong answer to an evaluation question sets out both the gains in control and the new barriers, uses the source, and reaches a balanced, supported judgement, all in neutral language. This is a good example of a topic where political neutrality and the use of evidence are essential.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of Pearson Edexcel exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
Edexcel 20224 marksExplain the difference between the European Union and the Council of Europe.Show worked answer →
A Paper 2 Section C "Explain" task (AO1 and AO2). Define each and contrast their roles.
The European Union is a political and economic union of member states with a single market, in which members cooperate closely on trade, laws and policies. The UK was a member but left after Brexit.
The Council of Europe is a separate, wider organisation focused on human rights, democracy and the rule of law; it produced the European Convention on Human Rights and is not the same as the EU. The UK remains a member.
Markers reward the contrast: the EU is an economic and political union (which the UK has left), while the Council of Europe is a human rights body (of which the UK is still a member).
Edexcel 202212 marksExamine the view that leaving the European Union has changed life in the UK more for better than for worse. (12)Show worked answer →
A Paper 2 Section C 12-mark evaluation (AO3, source-based). Weigh the changes neutrally and judge.
Arguments that changes are positive: the UK can set its own laws, control migration through a points-based system, make its own trade deals and control its fishing waters; supporters value this independence.
Arguments that changes are negative: leaving has created new barriers to trade and travel with the EU, ended free movement (affecting workers and students), and added paperwork for businesses; critics point to economic costs.
Judgement: use the source, weigh the gains in control against the new barriers and costs, and reach a supported, neutral conclusion. Markers reward balance, use of the source, accurate examples and a substantiated judgement, presented without political bias.
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Sources & how we know this
- Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Citizenship Studies (1CS0) specification — Pearson Edexcel (2022)