Extension may be the last one offered to UK, cautions Tusk
DONALD TUSK warned last night that the three-month Brexit extension to Jan 31 2020 could be the last one Brussels offered Britain.
The EU27 formally adopted the “flextension” in writing, avoiding the need for an emergency Brexit summit, less than 24 hours after Boris Johnson accepted the offer of a delay to avoid a no-deal exit.
“Please make the best use of this time,” the president of the European Council tweeted. “The EU27 has formally adopted the extension. It may be the last one.”
The extension will last until Jan 31 2020 – but Brexit could happen earlier, at 11pm UK time on Nov 30 or Dec 31. The deal must be ratified by first the House of Commons and then the European Parliament before Brexit can happen.
Mr Tusk has made no secret of his hope that Britain would eventually cancel Brexit. He steps down on Nov 30 to be replaced by Charles Michel, the former Belgian prime minister, who allied himself with Emmanuel Macron in April in arguing against a long extension. Mr Michel and the French president gave in to pressure from Angela
Merkel, the German chancellor, Leo Varadkar, the Irish prime minister, and Mr Tusk, who argued for a delay until Hallowe’en.
“To my British friends,” Mr Tusk tweeted, “I also want to say goodbye to you here as my mission is coming to an end. I will keep my fingers crossed for you.”
Michel Barnier, the EU’S chief Brexit negotiator, warned that Brexit was far from done in an interview with several European papers.
He said that the EU would hit back if Britain used Brexit to slash standards on products or cut tax and environmental regulations to gain a competitive advantage.
Mr Barnier said Britain should not “underestimate the difficulties of the process of ratification” of the future UK-EU free-trade agreement. He said it would be impossible to finalise the trade deal in the 11 months remaining of the transition period that will begin when the Brexit deal is ratified.
In its formal endorsement of the extension, the EU27 warned that Britain would have all the “rights and obligations” of any other member state, including the obligation to name an EU commissioner.
In July, Mr Johnson said he would not nominate a British commissioner “under any circumstances” as he vowed to “unshackle” UK officials from working for Brussels.
As news broke in Brussels that MPS had voted in favour, one EU diplomat said: “Finally, it is a welcome development.”
EU leaders are scheduled to meet in Brussels for a European Council on Dec 12.