Brexit is happening. The scene is set. The opening gambits have been played.
UK Prime Minister Theresa May served her divorce papers on the EU earlier this week, claiming to want "a deep and special partnership" with the bloc post-Brexit, one she wants to negotiate "alongside" the exit deal (see EUROPE 11757).
The EU hit back on Friday with a nine-page wish list of its own, insisting an agreement on citizens, money and Northern Ireland must be worked out before any trade talks take place (see other article).
Tough talk
It contained tough talk from the EU side, warning Brexit could cause "disruption" for people, companies and countries, and putting the UK on notice that it would remain subject to EU law and European Court of Justice judgments even after it leaves.
"Brexit does mean Brexit and Brexit will have consequences", said one senior EU official, playing on a form of words used repeatedly by Theresa May and her ministers.
"There will be barriers, not because of rigid bureaucrats in Brussels but because of the decision taken by the United Kingdom."
Both sides attempted to maintain an air of civility, including references to "sincere cooperation" in their respective Brexit missives.
But a "misunderstanding" over whether the UK was using security cooperation as a bargaining chip to get a better trade deal blighted the first week of divorce proceedings.
"We have had reassurances from the British government that this is a misinterpretation", said Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, on Friday, adding the UK were "decent partners".
Complexity
What is becoming clear is the mind-bending complexity involved in a break-up of a 44-year economic and political relationship.
The EU’s top priority, securing reciprocal rights for EU citizens, has already been beset by disagreements over a cut-off date for acquiring those rights (Article 50 trigger day or Brexit day?)
Money also matters, with the EU insisting the UK honour all its financial commitments, including contingent liabilities such as potential losses from, for instance, loans made to non-eurozone countries during the crisis.
And on Northern Ireland, the EU’s draft guidelines refer to "flexible and imaginative solutions" to avoid a return to a "hard border" with the Republic of Ireland – something that many fear would damage the fragile peace process – but farmers, workers and students living in border towns have no idea whether they will face ID or customs checks at the crossing after 2019.
Negotiators will now start discussing the details until May, based on a series of negotiating “directives” from the European Commission on specific issues.
European Council President Donald Tusk, hopes to make "sufficient progress" on the three priority issues by the autumn to allow talks on the outlines of an EU-UK trade deal to begin.
Unity
The EU is steeling itself for "difficult, complex and sometimes even confrontational" talks, one official said, but is determined to stay unified.
"The United Kingdom is now on the other side of the negotiating table", said European Council President Donald Tusk, on Friday.
However, on the EU side of the table, there are several EU countries with their own axes to grind.
Irish officials are "very pleased" the border and peace process in Northern Ireland have moved to the top of the EU priority list, with the text recognising the "unique circumstances" on the island.
They believe their case is different to that of Cyprus, with its UK sovereign military bases, or Gibraltar, which is the subject of a sovereignty dispute between the UK and Spain.
The inclusion of a line on Gibraltar in the EU’s negotiating guidelines is something of a diplomatic coup for Spain, as it stipulates that Spain and the UK must agree bilaterally for any future EU-UK trade deals to apply there.
Meanwhile, the European Parliament has put forward its own, more hardline, position – insisting, for example, that any post-Brexit transitional period be limited to three years.
Though it is not formally at the negotiating table, the Parliament will have a vote on the final divorce deal and a future EU-UK trade agreement (see EUROPE 11756).
Next steps
The EU’s guidelines are still draft, though officials from several member states and EU institutions are confident they will not change radically over the next month. They will be signed off by EU leaders at a summit on 29 April.
The Commission will then table the first of its negotiating directives in early May, drilling down into the detail on individual issues. They will be signed off at a meeting of Europe ministers on 22 May, marking the official kick-off of Brexit talks with the UK.
Meanwhile, the EU is determined not to let talks eclipse its work programme, or sap resources from its day-to-day work.
"While the United Kingdom is still a member, all ongoing EU business must continue to proceed as smoothly as possible at 28", the draft guidelines say.
Whether that is possible remains to be seen. (Sarah Collins)