[ad_1]
Copyright of the image
EPA
Theresa May faces obstacles to her Brexit project at home and in Europe
Theresa May will travel to Brussels later in the perspective of a crucial EU summit to officially sign the Brexit deal.
The Prime Minister will hold talks with top EU officials before the leaders of the 28 countries come together to approve the deal on Sunday.
However, Spain has indicated that it will not participate in the meeting unless a last-minute dispute over Gibraltar is resolved.
Even if the EU approves the deal, Ms May still has to convince enough MEPs to support it, which could prove difficult.
At the same time, the leader of the DUP – on which Ms May supports her support for Parliament – will reiterate her opposition to the agreement at her party's conference, after threatening to re-examine the issue. 39, agreement of trust and supply with the conservatives when it reaches Parliament.
What will happen at the top?
On Saturday, Ms May will meet European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and European Council President Donald Tusk for talks.
On Sunday, European leaders will gather for the special summit on Brexit. They will be asked to approve two key Brexit documents:
- The political declaration, which defines the relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union after Brexit – describing how trade and security between the UK and the EU will work
- The EU withdrawal agreement: a legally binding 585-page document setting out the terms of the UK's exit from the EU. It covers the UK's "divorce bill", worth 39 billion pounds, the rights of citizens and the thorny issue of "support" from Ireland North – keep the border open with the Republic of Ireland, if trade negotiations fail.
Multimedia playback is not supported on your device
BBC News correspondent Kevin Connolly said some member states "are wary of the possibility of the UK trying last-minute talks" on Saturday.
There is no formal vote on Sunday but the EU expects to go ahead after reaching a consensus.
Why is Spain unhappy?
Spain has raised last-minute objections to whether the question of Gibraltar – a British overseas territory with 30 000 residents, of which 96% voted for the maintenance of the European Union – was dealt with so far in the Brexit negotiations.
He hopes that the United Kingdom will issue a written declaration in which it is promised that Spain will be directly consulted on Gibraltar-related issues in its future trade negotiations with the EU.
On Friday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he would not decide to attend Sunday's summit before assurances were provided.
Copyright of the image
Reuters
Mr Sanchez is pro-European and it is not in his nature to sabotage EU plans, said Katya Adler of the BBC
Even if a country alone can not block the withdrawal agreement being approved, it is "impossible for the EU to unreservedly endorse a text if an existing member is so strongly opposed ", said Katya Adler, editor-in-chief of BBC News for Europe.
- Will the EU summit on Brexit crash on The Rock?
- Gibraltar: What does this have to do with Brexit?
Gibraltar would be the only problem pending before the summit.
France, Denmark and the Netherlands have expressed concern over the statements of the political declaration on fishing rights in British waters – but this issue would have been resolved.
What happens after the summit?
If the EU signs the withdrawal agreement, Ms. May will then have to convince members of her own parliament to support it.
A vote in Parliament is expected in December.
Labor, the Liberal Democrats, the SNP and the DUP all declared that they would vote against the government's agreement.
Some of May's conservative MPs – the Brexite extremists – strongly criticize the deal and are unlikely to support it, while other conservative Tory MPs may also vote against it.
- What will happen if MEPs reject Theresa May's agreement?
If MEPs support the agreement, then it must be ratified by the European Parliament.
Once the UK leaves the EU on March 29, 2019 – which will happen with or without an agreement – the details of a long-term trade agreement will be worked out at a later date. transition period from 21 months to December 2020.
However, if the agreement is rejected, a number of things could happen – including leaving in March without an agreement, a second attempt to pass the Brexit agreement, another referendum or a general election.
What does Theresa May say about this agreement?
On Friday, the British prime minister said that the UK should not expect a "better deal" from the EU if the deputies rejected its agreement on Brexit.
But she declined to say whether the UK would be better outside of the EU, saying only that it would be "different".
At the same time, the Telegraph said it saw leaked cabinet documents suggesting that the prime minister plans to "reframe the Brexit debate over migration" – by providing restrictions for low-skilled migrants arriving in the UK – in order to attract the support of the hardest Brexite specialists before the vote of the House of Commons.
Multimedia playback is not supported on your device
Is the support of the DUP important?
Yes. After the 2017 general election, May's Conservative party won 318 seats, four fewer than the number needed to govern with a majority government.
The DUP reached a confidence and supply agreement with the Conservatives, promising that its 10 MPs would vote with the government, allowing it to win key votes in Parliament.
Please update your browser
The DUP opposes the agreement on Brexit because of its "backstop" – the last resort relief plan aimed at ensuring that a difficult border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland will never happen.
It will only come into effect if the UK and the EU fail to reach a long-term trade agreement. But this support would mean that Northern Ireland – but not the rest of the UK – would continue to abide by certain EU rules in areas such as food products.
