European Council President Donald Tusk said after the informal summit of 27 member state leaders in Bratislava on Friday 16 September that UK Prime Minister Theresa May could activate Article 50 of the Treaty, launching the start of negotiations on the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union, in January or February of next year.
May has told him that it would be impossible to trigger Article 50 this year but the United Kingdom would “quite likely be ready in January or February”, said Tusk, who met the prime minister in London last week (see EUROPE 11619).
“Unlike the United Kingdom, we know what we want”, declared Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. He stated the double objective of the 27 member states of achieving a situation, following the upcoming negotiations, where it is in countries’ best interests to be members of the EU and to prevent EU nationals becoming second class citizens in the United Kingdom.
The 27 leaders reaffirmed the position they agreed towards London a few days after the UK referendum that was won by those wanting to take the United Kingdom out of the EU (see EUROPE 11583). They make clear that access to the internal market means accepting the four freedoms of movement contained in the treaties. Negotiations with the UK will only begin officially once Article 50 has been triggered.
Earlier in the day, European Parliament President Martin Schulz, who was not invited to the informal meeting of the 27 heads of state and/or government, said it was inconceivable that there could be any sort of hierarchy established among the four freedoms of movement. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion and Solenn Paulic)