The EU has agreed to extend the deadline for the UK to withdraw from the EU to 31 January 2020.
If the withdrawal agreement is approved by both Westminster and the EU Parliament before the deadline, however, the extension provides that the UK can leave the EU on the first day of any of the coming three months.
Despite concerns that French president Emmanuel Macron would block an extension to the Brexit deadline, the EU27 agreed to allow the extension, President of the European Council Donald Tusk announced on Monday.
The EU27 has agreed that it will accept the UK's request for a #Brexit flextension until 31 January 2020. The decision is expected to be formalised through a written procedure.
— Donald Tusk (@eucopresident) October 28, 2019
The written procedure is expected to take place sometime on Tuesday.
According to the terms of the extension, the UK is now obliged to provide a commissioner to the EU.
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The EU has emphasised that it will not renegotiate the withdrawal agreement again. This is the third time that the EU has allowed a Brexit extension.
The decision to allow an extension has both decreased the possibility of a no-deal exit and opened up space for Westminster to discuss a general election.
Evie McCullough
The Brussels Times
