Boris Johnson has formally signed the EU withdrawal agreement, smiling as he described it as a “fantastic moment” for the country.
His enthusiasm came in sharp contrast to the sombre tone of EU bureaucrats, who earlier added their signatures to the document before it crossed the Channel.
With a week before the deadline of 31 January, the agreement is now concluded and talks are due to begin over the future relationship between the UK and Brussels.
Johnson said the document’s signing, which took place in Downing Street, would end years of “argument and division” and was a positive change for the the UK.
“We can now move forward as one country – with a government focused upon delivering better public services, greater opportunity and unleashing the potential of every corner of our brilliant United Kingdom, while building a strong new relationship with the EU as friends and sovereign equals,” he said.
Michel, who as president of the European council will now chair meetings of 27 rather than 28 heads of state and government at the regular summits in the Belgian capital, said in a short statement: “Things will inevitably change but our friendship will remain. We start a new chapter as partners and allies.”
Under the agreement, the UK will leave the EU at midnight central European time on 31 January. The UK will remain in the EU’s single market and customs union, but none of the decision-making bodies, until the end of 2020.
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While Britain is technically leaving the EU on January 31st, in reality, it is then entering a half in, half out limbo period where many European laws and regulations still apply to the nation, even though it is not a member and as such no longer has representation in European institutions. The UK will remain in this state of limbo — it hopes — for 11 months until the end of 2020, when a trade deal would be signed and the country would move forward on a new footing.
But that itself is fraught with uncertainty — many in Brussels have warned signing a new trade deal, for a bloc where deals take years or decades to conclude, would be impossible. In the case of it not being signed, it is not clear whether the UK would simply walk away and trade on World Trade Organization rules as all nations that don’t have their own treaties do, or if it would carry on in the limbo state.
Brexiteers worry the second option leaves the nation open to the prospect of being trapped in the European Union indefinitely. A similar danger exists with a badly executed trade deal, however, which could leave too many powers in the hands of Brussels in return for trade rights.
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