Foreign ministers from the 27 remaining EU countries approved on Monday the mandate before the brexit negotiations with the united kingdom.
It said Malta’s deputy prime minister Louis Grech, who was the chairman of the meeting as Malta is the EU presidency this half-year.
The mandate relating to the first phase of the negotiations, if the Uk’s withdrawal, not the future of the relationship.
He said that unity was strong among the 27 EU countries.
Thus the EU27 formally prepared to start brexit negotiations. The start will not, however, until after the british early elections on 8 June.
The negotiating mandate is based on the guidelines that the eu-27 summit adopted on 29 april with more details.
The EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier said that he did not want to consider a breakdown in the negotiations.
”I call on all to explain what the lack of an agreement will mean. My goal is to succeed and to reach an agreement,” he said.
He counted with difficult times and tensions during negotiations. But he reminded that it is the Uk who want to leave the EU.
”In order to succeed in our new partnerships must succeed in the first phase,” he said.
During the first phase to the EU27 priority to citizens ‘ rights, the border between Ireland and northern Ireland and the united kingdom’s debt to the EU budget.
When a EUROPEAN summit, believes that ”sufficient progress” has been achieved in the phase can the second phase begin, if, among other things, a future free trade agreements.
Tradingportalen/Agency Directly.
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