The Council of the European Union, where post-Brexit power relations are changing, has chosen the Council Secretariat to lead its Working Party on the UK during the transition period.
The institution, which represents the governments of the Member States, has set up a special committee which will consult on the conduct of negotiations on future relations with the United Kingdom, says an EU Council decision published on 29 January.
By way of derogation, the General Secretariat of the EU Council, whose mission is to contribute to the organisation and monitoring of the coherence of the institution's work, will chair the Group until 31 December 2020, instead of the six-monthly Presidency of the Council of the EU.
The Group will assist the Ambassadors of the European Chancelleries in Coreper and the EU Council on all matters relating to relations with London, in particular during the cross-Channel negotiations on future relations and issues related to the implementation of the withdrawal agreement.
Finally, it will also be responsible for assisting Coreper and the EU Council on matters relating to other consequences of the United Kingdom's withdrawal.
Development of balance of power in the EU Council
Working as the Twenty-Seven will further favour the larger Member States in the EU Council. As a result Germany (18.54%) and France (14.98%) will almost single-handedly have a blocking minority (threshold of 35% of the population) (see EUROPE 12391/15).
The ordinary qualified majority rule, i.e. 55%, will change with the British departure: the number of states required to cast a favourable vote will be reduced from 16 to 15.
The same applies to reinforced qualified majority voting, because in a Union of 27, the requirement of at least 72% of the Member States means that 20 states - not 21 - will have to vote in favour.
As for London's traditional allies - the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark - they will have to seek new coalitions, but the chances are high that they will now find it difficult to form blocking minorities unless they represent a sufficiently large share of the population.
On the other hand, with the help of demographic change, France will gradually be offered new opportunities to block decision-making.
Finally, it should be noted that the EU Council has now lost its most active 'veto'. That position is up for grabs...
Exit the Brits
While British diplomats will now receive the same treatment in the EU Council as any other third country, during the transitional period and under the withdrawal agreement they may, exceptionally, be invited to certain meetings, an EU Council source explains.
But, notes the same source, the access badges of the United Kingdom delegation will be deactivated from 31 January at midnight.
To read the Council decision: https://bit.ly/31aQVcM (Original version in French by Hermine Donceel)