Key dates:
March 29 2017…Article 50 triggered.
March 31 2017…President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, publishes negotiation guidelines.
April 29 2017…EU summit, remaining EU members will adopt negotiation guidelines.
Late May/early June…Start of formal face-to-face talks.
Late Dec. 2017…EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier expects initial discussions to conclude.
Sept. 30 2018…Brexit negotiator Barnier wants to wrap up Brexit terms.
Late 2018/early 2019…Both Houses of Parliament and European Council and Parliament will have a vote on any deal.
March 2019…Two year negotiating window closes. The UK will leave the EU with or without an agreement.
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The UK is looking for an “early agreement” to guarantee the rights of EU citizens living in the UK and those of British nationals living abroad.
Also up for discussion:
Trade: The UK now requires a free trade agreement with the EU.
Brexit bill: The UK has to make good on various EU obligations, including pensions, but it is laughing off reported figures of $60 billion+.
Northern Ireland border: This is a huge issue…UK wants a border as seamless as possible.
Sovereignty: Britain is leaving the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice but wants to set up separate resolution mechanisms, such as on trade.
Security: UK said it wants to maintain cooperation on security and intelligence-sharing.
Source: BBC News, bbc.com
Next Hot Spots in a few weeks.
Brian Trumbore
