After 20 months of tough negotiations, the leaders of the EU member states have agreed on an agreement regarding the UK’s exit from the European Union.
27 EU leaders voiced endorsement for the Brexit agreement after less than an hour’s discussion in Brussels on Sunday, saying it paved the way for the UK’s “orderly withdrawal”. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said they must know “this is the only deal possible”.
The deal needs to be approved, ratified by the UK Parliament. According to the agreement scheme, the UK is scheduled to leave the EU on 29 March 2019.
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, also attending the extraordinary summit, has said before the summit that the current draft agreement on Brexit is a very good one for Romania, and that Romanians’ rights are perfectly protected.
“The agreement on the withdrawal of UK from the European Union has long been negotiated by the EU 27 (…) we set up a team of negotiators with a chief negotiator, Mr Barnier, a team that did a very good job. We endorsed them and we arranged that the points we are interested should be clarified in this draft agreement very well and, so far, I can say that we are very pleased with the draft, it’s worth moving forward. The draft reflects all our concerns and the fate of the Romanians in the UK, the funding of the EU budget and many others…If this agreement is voted, the rights of the Romanians, are perfectly protected. (…) It is very suitable for us if this agreement comes into force,” President Iohannis before attending the extraordinary meeting of the European Council in Brussels.