EU parliament leader: we want Britain out as soon as possible

[brooklynite]

Source: The Guardian

A senior EU leader has confirmed the bloc wants Britain out as soon as possible, warning that David Cameron’s decision to delay the start of Brexit negotiations until his successor is in place may not be fast enough.

Martin Schulz, the president of the European parliament, told the Guardian that EU lawyers were studying whether it was possible to speed up the triggering of article 50 – the untested procedure for leaving the European Union.

“Uncertainty is the opposite of what we need,” Schulz said, adding that it was difficult to accept that “a whole continent is taken hostage because of an internal fight in the Tory party”.

“I doubt it is only in the hands of the government of the United Kingdom,” he said. “We have to take note of this unilateral declaration that they want to wait until October, but that must not be the last word.”

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jun/24/top-eu-leader-we-want-britain-out-as-soon-as-possible

[whatthehey]

1. Yep Article 50 was never meant to be easy.

Essentially the exiting country loses all influence in the EU immediately, but is constrained on setting up new treaties etc during the transition. IOW you are ratfucked guys for the next two years, by your own silly parochial vote.

[FBaggins]

3. Can you cite something for that?

They certainly don't "lose all influence" - since they will spend the next two years negotiating the terms of their withdrawal. They don't get a vote on the still-EU side of the negotiations, but they certainly would still have influence. The closest I can see to what you claimed is that if the EU makes a new treaty, the UK would not have a role in negotiating it, but would still be bound by it until their final departure (two years after a formal Article 50 declaration)

Nor are they constrained in their ability to set up new treaties.

The UK is hardly the only side that will feel pain at the process... but the EU likely wants it to be as painful as possible so that the next shoe doesn't drop.

[whatthehey]

4. Sure

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/504216/The_process_for_withdrawing_from_the_EU_print_ready.pdf

[FBaggins]

6. That's odd... you must have linked to the wrong document

This one doesn't say that they lose all influence right away... nor does it say that they can't set up new treaties during the transition.

[whatthehey]

7. So you insist on word for word between a gov't document and a DU post?

Is this SOP or just for me?

[cstanleytech]

8. They lose most of it because if you had read the link provided you would have seen that

what really will hurt them and cause the most problems if they drag it out is this

2.8 While these negotiations continued, we would be constrained in our ability to negotiate
and conclude new trade agreements with countries outside the EU. The countries with which
we currently have preferential trade agreements through the EU are likely to want to see the
terms of our future relationship with the EU before negotiating any new trade agreements with
the UK. In addition, many of our trading partners, including the United States, are already
negotiating with the EU. Before they start negotiations with the UK they are likely to want
those deals to conclude.

[SkyDaddy7]

5. But but but...

They can stop brown people from coming in!!! Geez.

[FBaggins]

2. I don't think that he has much of a choice in the matter

Article 50 may be "untested", but it's hardly cryptic. The best argument that he has is that it reads (in part) "A Member State which decides to withdraw shall notify the European Council of its intention." - so he would claim that they've decided to withdraw and thus can be forced to trigger the Article 50 timeline.

The problem is that the facts don't match this. The first paragraph defined what "decides" means ("Any Member State may decide to withdraw from the Union in accordance with its own constitutional requirements.&quot

The Brexit vote was explicitly advisory in nature. It is not a binding decision that could possibly qualify as meeting the constitutional requirements. The people have told their government to withdraw from the union, but the government has not formally "decided" that they will.

[OnDoutside]

9. Good to read that from Schulz, if you're cutting off an arm, best to do it quick !

[roamer65]

10. Germany is offering up "associate member" EU status to the UK.

Two years to negotiate it and was already drawn up in Berlin as a plan B in case of a "leave" vote.

Just proves who is really in the driver's seat of the EU...Germany.

I think Germany is fed up with Juncker and Schulz as well.

[cstanleytech]

11. I wonder what benefits the UK will lose still though should they become an "associate member"

because I just dont see them being allowed to keep everything they might have now with being a full member.

[Night Watchman]

12. Clear that Rubbish

And tell the Welfare Windsors to go screw themselves.

[Little Tich]

13. Yes - Leave now, negotiate later. n/t