EU countries give green light to provisional application of post-Brexit trade deal

EU flags next to the European Commission in Brussels Xinhua via Europa Press / Europa Press

The member countries of the European Union, through their ambassadors in Brussels, have unanimously agreed on Monday the provisional application of the agreement reached last Thursday between the United Kingdom and the EU for the future commercial relationship after Brexit, pending that the European Parliament grants final ratification as early as 2021.

"Green light for the Brexit agreement: the ambassadors have unanimously approved the provisional application of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and the United Kingdom from January 1, 2021," the spokesperson for the German presidency of the day announced on Twitter. Council of the EU, Sebastian Fischer.

The final adoption must be made by written procedure before three in the afternoon on Tuesday (14.00 GMT).

Over the weekend, the capitals and Brussels experts have carefully analyzed the 1,246 pages of the agreement.

Once the adoption has been formalized in writing, the Trade and Cooperation agreement between the EU and the United Kingdom may be signed.

Then, the European Parliament will be asked to give the green light to the pact, which is scheduled to happen in the third week of January, when the first plenary session of 2021 is held. Its role is to give consent, without the possibility of making amendments , but maintains its ability to veto the entire agreement.

You can only say "yes" or "no".

As a last step for the EU, the Council must take the final decision on the entry into force of the agreement.

If its ratification is not completed by February 28, the European Commission and the British Government should negotiate an extension of the provisional application.

Another pending procedure is the translation of the document into all languages, which the Commission hopes will be available in the next few days.