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Britain, EU "divorce process" to take years

Xinhua, June 24, 2016 Adjust font size:

In the wake of Britain's Brexit referendum on Thursday in which the Leave camp has won, the European Council chief has predicted that the unprecedented political "divorce process" between Britain and the EU could take several years.

Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, has warned that renegotiating the relationship between Britain and the EU could take up to seven years.

In accordance with EU law, the British government first has to launch a proposal to activate Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which sets out the procedural requirements for a member state to terminate its membership.

Then a "withdrawal agreement" needs to be negotiated on such things as tariffs on British goods and freedom of movement between Britain and the remaining EU member states. Legal withdrawal would mean that EU treaties and their protocols no longer apply to Britain, and EU financial programs would be phased out.

After the signing of a new deal between Britain and the EU, which according to the Lisbon Treaty should be concluded in the course of two years, "Every single one of the 27 member states as well as the European parliament would have to approve the overall result. That would take at least five years and, I'm afraid, without any guarantee of success," Tusk told German magazine Bild earlier this month.

The ratification process could be long and painful, Tusk warned. It is predicted that the EU would offer a tough deal to Britain to dissuade others from leaving.

According to an analysis issued by the Bruegel, a think-tank based in Brussels, on Wednesday, "If the UK exits, it will need to renegotiate with the EU and other 124 countries to redefine its own trade status."

The EU has preferential trade agreements with 52 countries and is negotiating trade agreements with 72 other countries.

The 43 years of Britain's membership has also produced an immense body of EU legislation, said Uuriintuya Batsaikhan, the author of the analysis. "There are 6,987 directly applicable EU regulations, at least some of which would need to be replaced by equivalent UK laws," Batsaikhan said.

Both processes are only some of the points to be renegotiated in the new deal, unless the European Council, in agreement with the UK, unanimously decides to extend this period, the author noted. Endi