Britain to keep key EU anti-racism laws after leaving bloc

BERLIN – Britain says it will retain key parts of European Union anti-racism laws after leaving the bloc.

Britons voted narrowly to quit the EU in June. Anti-EU campaigners frequently cited EU legislation on a wide variety of issues as a reason to leave.

British officials sought Friday to reassure a Geneva-based United Nations anti-racism panel that EU law "is fully applicable" while the United Kingdom is still a member.

Delegate Ian Naysmith told the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination that "important elements of EU legislation have been transposed into U.K. law and will remain U.K. law even after departure from the European Union."

Britain will also remain a party to the European Convention on Human Rights, overseen by the Council of Europe, a body independent of the EU.