The only remaining impediment to the UPC starting is the need for Germany to ratify which has been held up by the constitutional complaint in that country.
It remains to be seen if the UPC system will start before the UK Brexits the European Union and, either way, what steps will be taken to keep the UK within the system once it is no longer a Member of the European Union (as contracting states of the UPCA are required to be).
By Daniel Byrne