In Brussels start negotiations on the UK’s exit from EU
The first two weeks of the talks will be devoted to the preparatory stage. Themselves substantive discussions will begin in July.
LONDON/BRUSSELS, June 19. /Offset. TASS Ilya Dmitriev, Denis Dubrovin/. Negotiating the British exit from the EU (Brexit) begin in Brussels on Monday, June 19.
Since the referendum in which the British, with a small preponderance of votes called for a “divorce” with the EU, a year has passed. In the Kingdom it created a whole Ministry for Brexit, however, and today, the day when its head, David Davis and chief negotiator of the EU, Michel Barnier will meet face to face in the headquarters of the European Commission, the main priorities for London for the talks remain a mystery.
The three priorities of the EU
Brussels has formulated its approach to the negotiations at the summit of heads of state and government of the remaining 27 countries on April 29.
EU leaders have agreed that the debate should be conducted in two stages: first, to resolve all the issues related to leaving the UK, including financial (who is who and how many should), and only then to discuss the format of future relations, in the first place, will stay or not London is a member of the European common market. The heads of the remaining States have confirmed that they would not conduct separate negotiations on the future of bilateral relations with the Kingdom.
On the second stage of negotiations in Brussels prefer not even to speak, because much will depend on the results of the first, for which the EU summit on 29 April, outlined three main priorities.
First, it is a question of guaranteeing all the rights, including freedom of movement and full of social service of citizens of EU countries living in the British Isles, and British subjects residing in the EU. The total number of both, the European Commission estimates that approximately 4.5 million people. Second, is the settlement of all financial obligations to Brussels and London with each other over the entire period of Britain’s membership in the EU. Thirdly, the parties must find a solution that ensures that after Brexit between EU member Republic of Ireland and is part of the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland does not appear physical boundaries and will be saved all the principles of the Belfast agreement 1998, which helped to stabilize the situation in Belfast.
In the shadow of the British election
Occupying the post of Prime Minister in July last year, the head of the ruling Conservative party Theresa may, left no doubt — the revision of the outcome of the referendum will not. The Prime Minister promised to lead the country out of the single market and the customs Union of the EU.
Despite the frequently expressed dissatisfaction with British businessmen, she said she can make the choice to termination of membership without agreement. “Better no deal than a bad deal”, she said as a warning as to their future European interlocutors and the members of his own party who favor softer versions of the agreements with Brussels.
Card the Prime Minister has completely confused the results of the early parliamentary elections held in the country on 8 June. Assigning these elections, may have intended one stone to kill two birds with one stone — strengthen the position of the tories in the House of Commons and without regard to political opponents with a strong hand to lead the negotiations with Brussels.
Goodbye, hard Brexit?
In practice, the opposite happened — the result of the vote actually deprived may of a mandate for negotiating tough scenario.
This forced may to make a deal with the Democratic unionist party (DUP) in Northern Ireland, to count on their votes when voting in the House of Commons. The leader of the DUP Arlene foster has made it clear that her party is opposed to the idea of defending Mei “hard” Brexit.
Meanwhile, according to media reports, the British Ministry of Brexit understaffed. This is not surprising when you consider that, according to the estimates of the relevant trade Union, as at the end of last year, the shortage of civil servants who should be thrown in the negotiations in the EU amounted to 30 thousand people.
The talks about talks
According to TV channel Sky News, the first two weeks of the talks will be devoted to the preparatory stage. Themselves substantive discussions will start in the third week, that is, in the beginning of July. The fourth week will be devoted to discussing results of work done at home. After that the time will come, a new four-week round of negotiations.
The three themes that, according to the British media should be discussed first and foremost is the question of the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland (DUP), the rights of 3.2 million living in the UK citizens of the EU and 1.2 Britons living in the EU, as well as the amount of payments that the EU intends to obtain from London.
With regard to the latter, then, according to the Financial Times, Brussels intends to request up to €100 billion, warning that until this issue is resolved, negotiations on future trade relations between the UK and the EU, will not start.
Thus by November 2018, the EU intends to summarize the discussions. Formally, to complete the transaction are given two years from the date of application of article 50 — that is, until March 2019. But Brussels has reserved the last six months, on approval of the outcome of the agreements reached by the European Parliament. With this in mind, the Davis and Barnier will be just about 500 days to try to negotiate.
Help
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