Friday. 29.03.2024

Around two in the morning, after several hours of discussions, the EU leaders and the British prime minister Teresa May agreed to extend the deadline for UK divorce until 31 October.

However, the agreement states that Brexit may come into effect earlier if Britain accepts the withdrawal agreement, informed the Finnish Government.

"A no-deal Brexit is not in anyone's interests. The extension is justified to allow for a controlled withdrawal", declared Finnish primer minister Juha Sipilä.

The condition for the extension is that Britain will hold elections to the European Parliament if it is an EU member on 22 May. Elections are held in EU countries on 23-26 May.

The European Council reiterated that no agreement would be opened, nor would the future relationship between Britain and the EU be negotiated before the British divorce. However, the political declaration on the future relationship can be changed if the British conditions change.

The conclusions of the European Council state that Britain, for example, should refrain from any action that could undermine the Union's decision-making or jeopardize the achievement of the Union's objectives.

The EU and the UK agree to delay Brexit until October 31