Britain is leaving the European Union today. The hard part comes next
The UK leaves the EU, but Brexit isn't over just yet
The UK leaves the EU, but Brexit isn't over just yet
JUST WATCHED  The UK leaves the EU, but Brexit isn't over just yet
The UK leaves the EU, but Brexit isn't over just yet
the first ever country to leave the European Union at 11:01 p.m. GMT on
agreed between the British government and the EU. And the terms of that agreement mean
next 11 months, the UK remains an EU member state in all but name
The UK formally leaves the EU. Prime Minister Boris Johnson will address the
Union flag will be removed from all EU institutions (one of which will be placed
in a museum in Brussels) and senior EU politicians will probably make statements expressing that
little. The UK might be leaving the EU, but as of 11:01 p.m
it will continue to obey all EU law and European courts. In the coming
it will continue to pay into the EU budget and comply with any changes to
EU law. That means that the only things
cease to have any meaningful representation in EU institutions and will no longer attend any
meetings of EU leaders. So it will be obeying EU
rules while having no say in EU policy
be affected during the transition period, and EU citizens will still be able to move
will focus on the UK and the EU's future trading relationship. Trade deals normally
years, if not decades, to negotiate. The EU's deal with Canada, for example, took
seven years to hammer out. And the EU is famously difficult to negotiate with because
is worth pointing out that the UK-EU deal starts from a place of total
much money the UK would pay the EU in exchange for access to its market
feature heavily in any final deal. Top EU official says Brexit is a
39; for the bloc Top EU official says Brexit is a
39; for the bloc Top EU official says Brexit is a 'wound' for
possible, while freeing the UK from strict EU rules. If this is achievable, it would
the UK continuing to trade in the EU but being flexible on regulations -- a situation
like the US and China. "With the EU, we need a close partnership based on
UK is willing to diverge from the EU in areas like tax, food standards and
financial regulation, it risks undermining the EU's precious single market -- the EU's
that Johnson has plans to undercut the EU, it won't hesitate to restrict access
world's largest economic bloc. "For the EU, the trade-off is simple: if the
UK diverges and no longer meets EU standards, or British businesses gain an unfair
competitive advantage over EU business, then it will have less access
to the EU market," says Georgina Wright, an EU expert
UK points to trading relationships that the EU has with countries like Canada and Japan
UK shares a common border with the EU. And as one EU diplomat points out
maintain reasonably strong relations, but on the EU side this clearly has to be appropriate
a challenge for both sides, though the EU is concerned that the UK doesn't
mutually beneficial agreement, in negotiations with the EU, there is always a winner and a
eating it: near-frictionless trade with the EU while enjoying the freedom to do as
foreign investment in ways that would flout EU rules on competition. What Brexit will mean
Brexit will mean for travelers For the EU, hugging the UK tight and stopping it
that in trade deals with both the EU and the US, it is going to
he is to extract concessions from the EU and get a deal that looks like
other bargaining chips at his disposal: the EU is very keen to reach agreement on