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(Repeat Thursday item without change)
By William James and Gabriela Baczynska
LONDON / BRUSSELS, Oct. 4 (Reuters) – Barely six months before the end of British hostilities, negotiations between the parties to reach an agreement on a divorce and a plan for new relations after Brexit are under way.
If they fail to agree, Britain may have to leave without an agreement, national elections or even another referendum.
Below are some important dates for the planned departure of Britain from the EU in March:
Irish Prime Minister in Brussels – 4 October
Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar will hold talks with EU officials on Thursday as Britain and the bloc again attempt to overcome differences on the Irish border after Brexit.
BARNIER MEETS THE POLITICIANS OF IRELAND AND THE EU SENTENCE OF 27 – 5 OCTOBER
Brexit EU negotiator Michel Barnier has met with North Irish politicians, but not the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, Arlene Foster, who vehemently opposes the introduction of regulations. different on the UK.
A meeting with Foster is planned next week.
Mr Barnier will also inform the Brussels ambassadors of the 27 EU states of progress made.
"Overview of the new partnership with the United Kingdom" – 10 October
Barnier is to present to the EU executive a first draft proposal of the group aimed at establishing close trade relations with Britain after Brexit.
EUROPEAN COUNCIL – 17-18 October
May meets with his European counterparts and the European Commission to try to seal agreements on Britain's withdrawal conditions and the kind of relations it will have in the future.
European leaders of the 27 remaining states will attend a dinner on Wednesday before joining us on Thursday in May to announce that the Irish border issue has progressed enough to convene an additional EU summit in November to finalize l & # 39; agreement. , including a diagram of future trade relations.
SPECIAL SUMMIT BREXIT – November 17-18 weekend
European leaders are ready to hold a special summit on the weekend of 17 and 18 November to seal a Brexit deal with Britain, had an agreement been reached.
Markets are expecting an agreement in November, and analysts say the pound would likely drop if the talks slid further.
COUNCIL OF THE EU – 13-14 DECEMBER
European Union leaders will meet for a meeting of the EU Council on 13 and 14 December. If an agreement is not reached in November, this summit could be one of the last chances of an agreement if parliaments on both sides had to ratify an agreement before the day of the exit, in March. .
UK PARLIAMENTARY VOTE ON BREXIT AFFAIR – Unplanned
If May reaches an agreement, she must obtain the approval of the British Parliament. She would need about 320 votes in parliament to get approval.
Its conservatives occupy 316 seats in the 650-seat Lower House, and it is counting on a party in Northern Ireland to win the vote in Parliament.
Labor said they would vote against his agreement. Therefore, unless she convinces her own legislators, she could lose a vote in parliament.
His failure could trigger action against his leadership of the Conservative Party, or the collapse of government and early elections.
RATIFICATION BY THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT – Not scheduled
The European Parliament must also approve any agreement reached between May and the other 27 EU leaders. If the legislature starts ratification in November or even in December, it should still be able to complete the process developed in time for Brexit.
He could hold a final vote at a plenary session scheduled from 11 to 14 March. But lawmakers will also campaign before the elections to the European Parliament in May, to which Britain would no longer participate.
EU officials have suggested that more time would be possible if negotiators were on the verge of sealing an agreement. But it would only be a few extra weeks at best, as the current European Parliament holds its last plenary session from 15 to 18 April 2019. This is already past the Brexit date.
NO DECLARATION
If there is no agreement before January 21, 2019, the British government must make a declaration within five days on what it intends to do, in accordance with the 2018 law. on the withdrawal of the European Union.
May said this week that a "Brexit without agreement" would be better than the EU's standing offer.
BREXIT – March 29, 2019 at 23:00 GMT.
Britain will officially leave the EU. If an exit agreement is agreed upon, there will be a transitional period during which most of the Union's rules and regulations will continue to apply while the UK government formulates and implements alternative policies on issues such as: immigration.
END OF TRANSITION PERIOD – December 31, 2020
The transition period, designed to mitigate the impact on businesses and mitigate uncertainties, must end. Until now, little has been agreed on the new agreements between Britain and the EU on trade, customs and other major issues.
Reportage of William James and Gabriela Baczynska; Edited by
Guy Faulconbridge and Toby Chopra
