The President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, confirmed on Thursday 15 November that an extraordinary European summit would be held on Sunday 25 November at 9.30 a.m. so that the Twenty-Seven can give the green light to the draft agreement on an orderly withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, a project validated on Wednesday evening by the British Government (see EUROPE 12137).
Mr Tusk also confirmed that a further meeting of the ambassadors of the Twenty-Seven (Coreper, ‘Article 50’ format) would take place on Friday 16 November to discuss the terms of the agreement in more detail. The ambassadors had not received this text as such at their meeting on Wednesday afternoon.
On Monday 19 November, the Twenty-Seven European Affairs Ministers will be responsible for preparing the ground for their leaders a few days later.
In the meantime, Member States' diplomatic advisors (‘sherpas') will refine the texts on the table, between the draft withdrawal agreement and the 'commented plan' on the future EU/Post-Brexit UK relationship, as called for by the European Union negotiator on Brexit, Michel Barnier.
Mr. Tusk did not share the "enthusiasm" of British Prime Minister Theresa May, who considered Brexit a “lose-lose" situation. Nevertheless, he expressed his conviction that the results obtained in the negotiations launched in spring 2017 best safeguard the vital interests of the Twenty-Seven. This conviction allows him to convene this exceptional European summit.
Mrs. May in turmoil. On Thursday, the tension was very high across the Channel, in stark contrast to the relative European appeasement.
Theresa May defended the draft agreement before a white-hot British Parliament and faced five serial resignations within her government (see other news).
Among them, that of the British Minister for Brexit, Dominic Raab, who was in charge of leading the negotiations with the EU. In his view, the draft agreement runs counter to the vital and sovereign interests of the United Kingdom.
In the absence of a finalized free trade agreement in the post-Brexit transition period, the creation of a temporary customs union between the EU and the United Kingdom - with Northern Ireland's alignment with certain European rules - can "pose a very real threat to the country's integrity", he said.
Other criticisms concern a slow return to trade autonomy, if the EU/UK customs union is established as provided for in the ‘backstop’. The same applies to the maintenance, sometimes for eight years, of the jurisdiction of the Court of Justice, and on a permanent basis on matters relating to citizens' rights.
The fervent Brexiter, Jacob Rees-Mogg, has asked for a vote of confidence in the British Parliament.
In the storm, Theresa May stayed the course: if the draft agreement was not adopted, the United Kingdom could leave the EU without an agreement or remain in the EU.
Satisfaction of the European Parliament
In Parliament, satisfaction was rather high on Thursday morning in Strasbourg.
After "first reading, I can say that we are satisfied", said European Parliament President Antonio Tajani, after receiving Michel Barnier, who came to inform the Parliament Steering Committee on Brexit.
According to him, the agreement respects the "three crucial points" identified by Parliament: - the defence of the rights and interests of the three million Europeans living on the other side of the Channel; - London's financial commitments to the EU until 2020; - the legal solution to prevent the return of a physical border between Ireland and Northern Ireland.
"Afterwards, of course, we will have to evaluate line by line and say whether it poses any problems for the European Parliament", warned Mr Tajani, pointing out that MEPs were not 100% satisfied.
Like Mr Tajani, Parliament Brexitcoordinator Guy Verhofstadt (ALDE, Belgium) recalled that Brexit remains “like an injury". But we must "make the best of" this situation, he said. And before giving its consent next year to a draft agreement politically validated by London and the Twenty-Seven, Parliament will ensure that the rights of Europeans are scrupulously defended. In the meantime, Parliament will adopt a specific resolution.
It should be noted that the EU negotiator, Michel Barnier, will comment on the draft agreement at the Committee of the Regions on 6 December. The former European Commissioner for Regional Policy had already done so in March 2017 (see EUROPE 11751). (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic with Pascal Hansens)