Brexit: Britain says it should still be able to influence EU regulations after leaving it

The latest government position paper says that "regulatory cooperation between the UK and the EU on a range of issues will be essential" to avoid damaging Britain's economy and security.

A paper released on Thursday, which focuses on data protection laws, suggests that the UK's Information Commissioner could still have a say on shaping EU data protection rules in Brussels, attending regulatory fora and maintaining its influence. The paper says Britain should be able to help write EU rules because the rules will still apply to UK businesses that want to trade with countries in the EU – as they do to every other country in the world.

The fact that EU rules would apply to UK businesses trading with the EU after Brexit was one of the main arguments the Remain campaign deployed in favour of staying in the EU.

"After the UK's withdrawal, regulatory cooperation between the UK and the EU on a range of issues will be essential, including data protection – not least because [EU rules] will continue to apply to UK businesses offering goods or services to individuals in the EEA," the paper says.

"A new relationship could therefore enable an ongoing role for the UK's ICO in EU regulatory fora, preserving existing, valuable regulatory cooperation and building a productive tackle future challenges." Officials say the Information Commissioner's Office is "well-regarded" internationally and that its "resources and experience are part of an established and effective EU regulatory dynamic".

The Government is set to incorporate the EU's data protection regulations into its own domestic law, which gives it the option of asking the European Commission to sign off British law as conforming to "adequacy".