Brexit: UK asks EU for further extension until June 30



[ad_1]

Donald Tusk and Theresa May

Copyright of the image
Reuters

Theresa May has written to the European Union to request a new deadline for Brexit, until June 30th.

The UK is currently due to leave the EU on April 12, and to date, no withdrawal agreement has been approved by MEPs.

The Prime Minister has proposed that if British MPs approve an agreement in time, the UK should be able to leave before the elections to the European Parliament on 23 May.

But she said the UK would be preparing to nominate candidates for these elections, in case they do not reach an agreement.

At the same time, Katya Adler, BBC's editor-in-chief for Europe, told an EU official that European Council President Donald Tusk would propose a "flexible" Brexit extension. for a period of 12 months, with the option of reducing it if the UK Parliament ratifies an agreement.

But his proposal is expected to be unanimously approved by EU leaders next week. The prime minister wrote to Tusk asking for an extension before Wednesday's meeting.

  • Tusk, EU member, calls for flexible deadline for Brexit
  • What are the Brexit blocking points?

She asked for an extension of the last summit, which took place shortly before March 29, at the end of June – the date on which the UK was originally due to leave the EU.

However, he was offered a short deadline, ie April 12 – the date on which the UK must say he intends to participate in the European Parliament elections – or until May 22 if British MPs had approved the withdrawal agreement negotiated with the EU. They voted for the third time last week.

Pbad the @BBCkatyaadler Twitter message

You can almost hear the combined sound of looks in the 27 European capitals .. while the prime minister asks for a #Brexit prorogation (until 30 June) that Brussels has already rejected several times

– katya adler (@BBCkatyaadler) April 5, 2019

End of Twitter post by @BBCkatyaadler

Skip @BBCkatyaadler's Twitter 2 post

The Prime Minister knows that the EU will probably insist on a longer extension, the option being able to end earlier as soon as parliament is ratified #Brexit deal (see: "flextension" proposed by Donald Tusk) BUT asking for a shorter extension, it avoids new criticisms of ERG-ites at the "Brussels forced me hand!" / 2

– katya adler (@BBCkatyaadler) April 5, 2019

End of @BBCkatyaadler Twitter post 2

Skip @BBCkatyaadler's Twitter post 3

The EU is looking for a longer extension in order to avoid being constantly approached by the prime minister for a slippery series of short extensions threatened with non-agreement. Message from the EU "Dear Theresa, Enough of the drama already! We have others not #Brexit questions about our plate. "/ 3

– katya adler (@BBCkatyaadler) April 5, 2019

End of @BBCkatyaadler Twitter post 3

In her letter, she stated that "the stalemate can not be maintained" because it "created uncertainty and undermined confidence in politics" in the United Kingdom.

She added that if the negotiations between the parties with the Labor Party could not establish "a single unified approach" in the British Parliament, the deputies would be invited to vote on a series of options that the government "is willing to respect ".

She wrote that the United Kingdom had proposed an extension of the process until 30 June and "accepts the opinion of the European Council that if the United Kingdom is still a Member State of the Union May 23, 2019, it would be legally bound to hold the elections ".

To this end, the United Kingdom has already "undertaken the legal and responsible preparations for this eventuality".

But he added that if a withdrawal agreement could be ratified by Parliament before that date, "the government proposes to end this deadline", so that the UK can leave the EU before that date and cancel the preparations for the elections to the European Parliament.

[ad_2]
Source link