The Twenty-Seven should be able to express a position in favour of a further extension of the Article 50 period, on Wednesday 10 April, at a new European summit devoted to the orderly exit of the United Kingdom, but this will require Theresa May to justify this request and ensure that the EU operates unhindered during this period. This was the message sent on Tuesday 9 April by the European Affairs Ministers of the Twenty-Seven meeting in Luxembourg in the General Affairs Council.
Together with Michel Barnier, the EU negotiator for the orderly withdrawal of the United Kingdom, they noted in particular Ms May's search for a transparent political alliance (notably with Jeremy Corbyn's Labour) in order to find a positive majority in support of the withdrawal agreement. "A new element" in a "serious" context such as that of Brexit - as Michel Barnier described it at the end of the meeting - which deserves the attention of the Twenty-Seven.
Nevertheless, Michel Barnier warned, this extension of the period of Article 50 (Ms May asked for a period until 30 June) must be "useful to give more time, if necessary, to make this political process a success". So "long or short, it must be proportional to the objective", any extension must "serve a specific objective".
The negotiator also reiterated the EU's readiness to review in "a few hours or a few days" the content of the political declaration on future relations, as the EU could very well "add a customs union to the free trade agreement". But the United Kingdom will need to be well aware of one thing: in these future relationships, everything will be done to protect the "ecosystem" that is the internal market for businesses and citizens.
The integrity of the internal market, the decision-making autonomy of the Twenty-Seven and the indivisibility of the four freedoms must be respected. "We are not prepared to compromise the very foundations of the EU", added Mr Barnier. "This point must be well understood" by the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, the decision on the extension remains the ultimate responsibility of the Twenty-Seven and all the EU can do is to give "every last chance to achieve an orderly withdrawal", continued the Frenchman, it being understood that an exit without agreement will never be "a decision for the Twenty-Seven".
An extension does not mean the renegotiation of the withdrawal agreement
For his part, the Romanian Minister Delegate for European Affairs, George Ciamba, stressed that the extension of the period of Article 50 was an "instrument" and not "an objective in itself". In any case, the Minister noted that the Ministers had, in general, appreciated Ms May's acknowledgement that a long extension would imply holding European elections, with the Minister describing this approach as a "step forward". He also stressed that, for the Twenty-Seven, "it is very clear that an extension is not a renegotiation of the withdrawal agreement".
For his part, Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney, like other colleagues, indicated that the EU was ready to respond "generously" to Ms May's request, but that she should provide them with "a clear plan".
Ms May in Berlin, then in Paris
Theresa May, for her part, was scheduled to meet with Chancellor Angela Merkel and then with French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday 9 April, to prepare for the summit. According to a national diplomatic source, the Twenty-Seven should indeed have a positive view on Wednesday regarding Ms May's request for an extension, but strict conditions will be attached to it, such as a real internal political process that can succeed and the guarantee, regularly verified by the Twenty-Seven through a monitoring mechanism, that the United Kingdom will not interfere negatively in the EU's internal affairs and decision-making process.
In addition, on 10 April, prior to the meeting and at the initiative of Belgium, a working party of the countries most affected by Brexit will meet before the summit; Ireland, France, the Netherlands and Luxembourg should already be present. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)