The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
EU leaders reveal date to discuss negotiations
Summit will give EU member states’ leaders time to consider response to UK triggering Article 50
European Union leaders will meet on April 29 to collectively agree a Brexit negotiating position ahead of withdrawal talks with Britain, European Council president Donald Tusk has announced.
The timing of the summit will give leaders of the EU’s 27 other member states time to consider Mr Tusk’s response to Theresa May triggering Article 50 on March 29, which he has promised within 48 hours.
The EU27 will then come together at the extraordinary summit in April to agree their position and give European Commission chief negotiator Michel Barnier a mandate for exit negotiations.
The date of April 6 was initially pencilled in for a summit but after the Prime Minister delayed triggering Article 50 to the end of the month, despite receiving Parliament’s approval to do so on March 13.
Mr Tusk announced the date of the summit on Twitter, adding: “Priority must becertainty, clarity for all: citizens, companies & member states.”
The timing of the summit means substantive negotiations will not begin until at least May, giving the PM just 17 months to get a deal, according to Mr Barnier’s timetable.
The Frenchman has called for talks to be completed by October 2018 to give time for any agreement to be ratified before the UK leaves, expected on March 29 2019 under the two-year Article 50 process.
Mr Tusk said his priority was making sure the “divorce” was the “least painful” for the EU.
At a press conference in Brussels, he said: “In view of what was announced in London yesterday, I would like to inform you that I will call a European Council on Saturday April 29 to adopt the guidelines for the Brexit talks.
“As you all know, I personally wish the UK hadn’t chosen to leave the EU, but the majority of British voters decided otherwise.
“Therefore, we must do everything we can to make the process of divorce the least painful for the EU.
“Our main priority for the negotiations must be to create as much certainty and clarity as possible for all citizens, companies and member states that will be negatively affected by Brexit, as well as our important partners and friends around the world.”