Thumbs up for Brexit transition period
European Union leaders have approved the new 21-month Brexit transition period agreed upon by UK and EU negotiators last week.
EUROPEAN Union leaders have approved the Brexit transition period.
The thumbs up came at a summit of leaders held in Brussels last Thursday and Friday.
They endorsed an agreement reached earlier last week on a 21-month transition period running from March 31, 2019, when the UK officially leaves, to the end of 2020.
During that period, the UK will be able to negotiate, sign and ratify its own trade deals, while UK citizens moving to the EU will enjoy the same rights and guarantees as those who arrive before Brexit.
Speaking about Brexit at the conclusion of the summit, European Council president Donald Tusk said: “We want to use the positive momentum in the negotiations to finally settle outstanding issues such as the solution to avoid a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland.
“In parallel, we will start our first talks about the fu- ture EU-UK relationship. Leaders will assess in June if the Irish question has been resolved, and how to go about a common declaration on our future.”
Commenting on the transition period last week, the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier said: “British citizens and European citizens of the 27 who arrive during the transition period will receive the same rights and guarantees as those who arrived before the day of Brexit.”
At the same time, Mr Tusk had stated: “In practice the transition phase will allow us to delay all the negative consequences of Brexit by another 21 months.”
EU leaders welcomed the progress so far, but reminded that there is no legal certainty, including over the transition deal, until the whole agreement is ratified.