Brexit agreement latest news – when will negotiations end and what’s the next phase?

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Untangling British and EU laws and deals before March 2019 will be tough work

When did the Brexit negotiations start and when will they end?

Theresa May signalled the start of Brexit talks on March 29, 2017, when she triggered Article 50.

It is the piece of EU law that sets the rules for a country choosing to leave the Union.

Mrs May’s letter to EU Council chief Donald Tusk started the clock ticking on a two-year time limit to complete exit talks.

Brexit negotiations began on June 19, 2017, with David Davis and Michel Barnier meeting to begin the historic talks in Brussels.

In November, Mr Davis announced the date of Brexit will be set in law and we will officially leave the EU at 11pm GMT on March 29, 2019.

But this has been met with strong opposition in parliament, with several Tory backbenchers vowing to oppose the legislation.

They say that nailing down an exact cut-off date could end up leaving Britain worse off.

The government has signalled it will seek a “transition period”, with much of the existing arrangements continuing for a limited time after March 2019.

This will allow for detailed talks on a future trade deal – potentially extending Brexit negotiations for years to come.

How do the Brexit negotiations work?

Delegations from the UK and EU meet regularly to thrash out decisions over separating the UK from European institutions and laws.

The UK wanted to negotiate post-Brexit deals at the same time as working through the divorce talks.

But the EU insisted on a different timetable – refusing to discuss trade until a number of issues are settled first.

This so-called phase one includes the Brexit “divorce bill” – how much Britain should pay to honour existing commitments.

The two other main issues are the rights of EU citizens and the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Only once the other 27 states decide “sufficient progress” has been made on phase one, can negotiations begin on phase two – the future relationship including a possible trade treaty.

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Theresa May, the UK side of Brexit negotiations is led by David Davis, Secretary of State or Exiting the European Union.

He is deputised by Sir Tim Barrow, UK Permanent Representative to the EU, while beneath them is an army of civil servants.

Boris Johnson, the Foreign Secretary, and Liam Fox, Secretary of State for International Trade, is also be part of the effort to secure post-Brexit trade deals.

The EU delegation is led by Michel Barnier, the European Commission’s chief negotiator.

Alongside him is Jean-Claude Juncker, Commission President, Donald Tusk, European Council President, Guy Verhofstadt, European Parliament negotiator and Antonio Tajani, President of the European Parliament.

MEPs are able to veto the final deal.

What are some of the key issues at stake?

  • A favourable trade deal between the EU and Britain
  • EU citizens’ rights in the UK, which Theresa May has now offered to protect in exchange for British citizens’ rights in the EU — and visa-free travel.
  • Border issues between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland
  • Intelligence sharing and counter-terrorism
  • EU laws in the UK — what will be kept, what will need to be copied into UK law and what will be scrapped
  • Financial obligations of the UK to the EU — the so-called “divorce bill”
  • Jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice
  • Foods, fisheries, financial services, academic research and goods and customs

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