BBC-Brexit - Donald Tusk Suggests - Flexible - Delay of Up To A Year - BBC News

09/04/2019 Brexit: Donald Tusk suggests "flexible" delay of up to a year - BBC News
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Brexit: Donald Tusk suggests "flexible" delay of up to a year
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Brexit
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European Council president Donald Tusk has suggested offering the UK a "flexible"
extension to Brexit of up to a year, with the option of leaving earlier if a deal is ratified.
He said there was "little reason to believe" a Brexit deal would be approved by the extension
deadline UK PM Theresa May has requested - 30 June.
Writing to EU leaders, he said any delay should have conditions attached.
EU states will vote on the extension proposals at a summit on Wednesday.
A draft EU document circulated to diplomats ahead of the emergency summit also proposes
an extension but leaves the date of the proposed new deadline blank.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-47874367 1/18
The BBC's Brussels correspondent Adam Fleming said the document referred to an extension
lasting "only as long as is necessary and, in any event, no longer than XX.XX.XXXX and
ending earlier if the withdrawal agreement is ratified".
The UK is currently due to leave the EU at 23:00 BST on Friday.
Meanwhile, Mrs May has been meeting French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris and
German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin for talks ahead of the summit.
Afterwards, Ms Merkel said a delay that ran until the end of this year or the start of 2020 was
a possibility.
Kuenssberg: Significant hurdles for cross-party talks
Adler: EU keen to quiz May ahead of Brexit summit
A really simple guide to Brexit
Mr Tusk said granting the 30 June extension that Mrs May is seeking "would increase the risk
of a rolling series of short extensions and emergency summits, creating new cliff-edge dates".
And if the European Council did not agree on an extension at all, "there would be a risk of an
accidental no-deal Brexit", he said.
"One possibility would be a flexible extension, which would last only as long as necessary and
no longer than one year, as beyond that date we will need to decide unanimously on some
key European projects."
Mr Tusk said the EU would need to agree on a number of conditions to be attached to any
proposed extension, including that there would be no re-opening of negotiations on the
withdrawal agreement.
He said the UK should be treated "with the highest respect" and "neither side should be
allowed to feel humiliated".
REUTERS
Downing Street said Mrs May had discussed the UK's request for an extension of Article 50 -
the process by which the UK leaves the EU - until 30 June, with the option to make it shorter if
a deal is ratified earlier, with both Ms Merkel and Mr Macron.
The prime minister and Chancellor Merkel agreed on the importance of ensuring Britain's
orderly withdrawal, a statement said.
Mrs May and Mr Macron also discussed next month's European Parliamentary elections, with
the prime minister saying the government was "working very hard" to avoid the need for the
UK to take part as it is supposed to if it is still a member of the EU on 23 May.
Brexit explained in flowcharts
Brexit Basics: The customs union
DUP says PM's 'pleading is humiliating'
Following a meeting of the EU's General Affairs Council in Luxembourg, diplomats said
"slightly more than a handful" of member states spoke in favour of delaying Article 50 until 30
June but the majority were in favour of a longer extension.
EU leaders are curious to hear the prime minister's Plan B. They hope there is one, although
they're not convinced.
They want to know, if they say, "Yes," to another Brexit extension, what it will be used for.
And they suspect Theresa May wants them to do her dirty work for her.
EU diplomatic sources I have spoken to suggest the prime minister may have officially asked
the EU for a short new extension (until 30 June) as that was politically easier for her back
home, whereas she believed and hoped (the theory goes) that EU leaders will insist instead
on a flexible long extension that she actually needs.
The bottom line is: EU leaders are extremely unlikely to refuse to further extend the Brexit
process.
Read more from Katya
So far, UK MPs have rejected the withdrawal agreement Mrs May reached with other
European leaders last year.
One of most contentious parts of the plan is the Irish backstop - an insurance policy that aims
to prevent the reinstatement of a hard border on the island of Ireland.
The EU has continually said it will not re-open the withdrawal agreement for negotiations, but
Leader of the Commons Andrea Leadsom has renewed her plea for it to look at it again.
Meanwhile, Andrea Leadsom suggesting this morning it would be

'fantastic' if Merkel was suddenly willing to open up talks on the
backstop.... erm... that's absolutely not the govt's official position
— Laura Kuenssberg (@bbclaurak) April 9, 2019
Report
Meanwhile, the latest round of talks between Labour and the Conservatives aimed at breaking
the impasse in Parliament have finished for the day with both sides expressing hope there
would be progress.
They are hoping to reach compromise changes to the Brexit deal agreed by Mrs May that
could be accepted by the Commons, with Labour pushing for the inclusion of a customs
union.
That would allow tariff-free trade in goods with the EU but limit the UK from striking its own
deals. Leaving the arrangement was a Conservative manifesto commitment.
Environment Secretary Michael Gove said the talks had been "open and constructive" but the
sides differed on a "number of areas".
Labour's shadow business secretary Rebecca Long Bailey said they were "hopeful progress
will be made".
Further talks will be held on Thursday.
On Tuesday afternoon, MPs also approved a government motion for Mrs May to ask the EU
to delay Brexit until June 30, required after a bill from Labour's Yvette Cooper became law.
How did my MP vote on 9 April?

Enter a postcode, or the name or constituency of your MP
If Labour and the government cannot agree on a way forward, Mrs May has promised to put a
series of Brexit options to the Commons to vote on - with the government to be bound by the
result.
These options could include holding another referendum on any Brexit deal agreed by
Parliament.
Your guide to Brexit jargon
Use the list below or select a button
- Choose a Brexit term -
Withdrawal agreement WTO rules
No deal Backstop plan
Customs union Irish border
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09/04/2019 Brexit: Donald Tusk suggests "ﬂexible" delay of up to a year - BBC News

Home News Sport Weather Shop Reel Travel M

Brexit: Donald Tusk suggests "ﬂexible" delay of up to a year

Writing to EU leaders, he said any delay should have conditions attached.

EU states will vote on the extension proposals at a summit on Wednesday.

The UK is currently due to leave the EU at 23:00 BST on Friday.

Kuenssberg: Signiﬁcant hurdles for cross-party talks

Adler: EU keen to quiz May ahead of Brexit summit

A really simple guide to Brexit

a deal is ratiﬁed earlier, with both Ms Merkel and Mr Macron.

Brexit explained in ﬂowcharts

Brexit Basics: The customs union

DUP says PM's 'pleading is humiliating'

Read more from Katya

Meanwhile, Andrea Leadsom suggesting this morning it would be

Further talks will be held on Thursday.

How did my MP vote on 9 April?

Your guide to Brexit jargon

Use the list below or select a button

- Choose a Brexit term -

Withdrawal agreement WTO rules

No deal Backstop plan

Customs union Irish border

Theresa May European Union Donald Tusk Brexit

Share this story About sharing

More on this story

Brexit Basics: What is the backstop?

Brexit: Corbyn says 'no change' in government's red lines

Brexit: Your simple guide to the UK leaving the EU

Brexit: What happens now?

DUP says PM's 'pleading is humiliating'

Boothroyd: 'Nobody voted for this mess'

The hustings for next PM, in all but name

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BBC.com BBC Capital

BBC News BBC Culture

BBC News BBC Capital

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Top 10 Most Awesome Providers To Protect Your Mac For

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Tusk suggests Brexit delay of up to a year

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Queerbaiting - exploitation or a sign of progress?

'My mind's eye is blind' - ex-Pixar chief

The city where children are learning to love mosquitoes

India’s general election - a really simple guide

Why is Libya so lawless?

‘Lucy saved me like no human did’

Should cyber-security be more chameleon, less rhino?

The rise of male 'modest' fashion

'Our children are gasping' - Senegal's toxic air battle

Elsewhere on the BBC

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