"Brexit" news

"Brexit" news

• Information for EU citizens
• Business' information
• Timeline of the UK's withdrawal from the European Union
• General information about Brexit negotiations
• Key aspects of the draft withdrawal agreement
• Lithuania’s national preparedness for No-Deal Brexit
• Commissions’ Communications on preparing for the UK's withdrawal from the EU on 30 March 2019

Timeline of the UK's withdrawal from the European Union

General information about Brexit negotiations

In a referendum on 23 June 2016, a majority of citizens in the United Kingdom (UK) voted for the withdrawal of the UK from the European Union (EU). On 29 March 2017, the UK informed the European Council of its intention to leave the EU, in accordance with Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union. The UK was supposed to cease to be a member of the EU on 29 March 2019.

The negotiations between the UK and the EU started in May 2017. The European Commission negotiated on behalf of the EU. The negotiations were completed on 14 November 2018, when the EU and the UK chief negotiators have reached an agreement on the draft Withdrawal Agreement and on the Outline of the Political Declaration on the framework for the future relationship between the UK and the EU. The agreed documents were approved by the UK Government on 14 November 2018. Based on the Outline, the full text of the Political declaration on the future EU-UK relationship was prepared involving Member States and at the same tame negotiating with the UK. On 25 November 2018 the extraordinary European Council endorsed the Withdrawal Agreement and approved the Political declaration, which sets out the framework of EU-UK future relationship.

The Withdrawal Agreement has to be ratified by the British parliament and by the European Parliament. When the Withdrawal Agreement comes into force, a transitional period will begin. The transitional period will end on 31 December 2020. Until the actual withdrawal date of the UK from the EU, the UK is a full-fledged member of the EU and enjoys the same rights and obligations as other member states.

In January and March of 2019, the British Parliament voted 3 times on the Withdrawal Agreement, but so far did not succeed to ratify it. In October of 2019, the EU and the UK agreed on a modified Agreement which has not been ratified by the UK Parliament.  In consequence, on request by British Government, European Council granted another extension of the withdrawal date until 31 January 2020.