Read Britain's full European Union departure letter
Theresa May's letter notifying the EU of Britain's intention to leave Credit: Downing Street
The letter to the European Union signaling Britain's intent to leave the EU has been published.
In the letter, signed by Theresa May and delivered to European Council leader Donald Tusk, the Prime Minister stated the UK was "leaving the European Union, but we are not leaving Europe".
She wrote: "The United Kingdom wants to agree with the European Union a deep and special partnership that takes in both economic and security cooperation. To achieve this, we believe it is necessary to agree the terms of our future partnership alongside those of our withdrawal from the EU."
The letter to the European Union signaling Britain's intent to leave the EU has been published.
In the letter, signed by Theresa May and delivered to European Council leader Donald Tusk, the Prime Minister stated the UK was "leaving the European Union, but we are not leaving Europe".
She wrote: "The United Kingdom wants to agree with the European Union a deep and special partnership that takes in both economic and security cooperation. To achieve this, we believe it is necessary to agree the terms of our future partnership alongside those of our withdrawal from the EU."
British Prime Minister, Theresa May |
Mrs May said in the letter that in the case that no deal is reached and Britain leaves without a deal, "both sides would of course cope with the change", but added: "It is not the outcome that either side should seek. We must therefore work hard to avoid that outcome."
Read Mrs May's letter to Mr Tusk in full below:
The Prime Minister,
On 23 June last year, the people of the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union. As I have said before, that decision was no rejection of the values we share as fellow Europeans. Nor was it an attempt to do harm to the European Union or any of the remaining member states.
On the contrary, the United Kingdom wants the European Union to succeed and prosper. Instead, the referendum was a vote to restore, as we see it, our national self-determination. We are leaving the European Union, but we are not leaving Europe – and we want to remain committed partners and allies to our friends across the continent.
Earlier this month, the United Kingdom Parliament
confirmed the result of the referendum by voting with clear and convincing
majorities in both of its Houses for the European Union (Notification of
Withdrawal) Bill. The Bill was passed by Parliament on 13 March and it received
Royal Assent from Her Majesty The Queen and became an Act of Parliament on 16
March.
Today, therefore, I am writing to give effect to
the democratic decision of the people of the United Kingdom. I hereby notify
the European Council in accordance with Article 50(2) of the Treaty on European
Union of the United Kingdom’s intention to withdraw from the European Union.
In addition, in accordance with the same Article
50(2) as applied by Article 106a of the Treaty Establishing the European Atomic
Energy Community, I hereby notify the European Council of the United Kingdom’s
intention to withdraw from the European Atomic Energy Community. References in
this letter to the European Union should therefore be taken to include a
reference to the European Atomic Energy Community.
This letter sets out the approach of Her Majesty’s
Government to the discussions we will have about the United Kingdom’s departure
from the European Union and about the deep and special partnership we hope to
enjoy – as your closest friend and neighbour – with the European Union once we
leave. We believe that these objectives are in the interests not only of the
United Kingdom but of the European Union and the wider world too.
It is in the best interests of both the United
Kingdom and the European Union that we should use the forthcoming process to
deliver these objectives in a fair and orderly manner, and with as little
disruption as possible on each side. We want to make sure that Europe remains
strong and prosperous and is capable of projecting its values, leading in the
world, and defending itself from security threats.
We want the United Kingdom, through a new deep and
special partnership with a strong European Union, to play its full part in
achieving these goals. We therefore believe it is necessary to agree the terms
of our future partnership alongside those of our withdrawal from the European
Union.The Government wants to approach our discussions with ambition, giving citizens
and businesses in the United Kingdom and the European Union – and indeed from
third countries around the world – as much certainty as possible, as early as
possible. I would like to propose some principles that may help to shape our
coming discussions, but before I do so, I should update you on the process we
will be undertaking at home, in the United Kingdom.
– .
Sir Tim
Barrow hands the Article 50 letter to Donald Tusk
Sir Tim Barrow hands the Article 50 letter to
Donald Tusk. Credit: PA
The process in the United Kingdom.
As I have announced already, the Government will
bring forward legislation that will repeal the Act of Parliament – the European
Communities Act 1972 – that gives effect to EU law in our country. This
legislation will, wherever practical and appropriate, in effect convert the
body of existing European Union law (the “acquis”) into UK law. This means
there will be certainty for UK citizens and for anybody from the European Union
who does business in the United Kingdom. The Government will consult on how we
design and implement this legislation, and we will publish a White Paper
tomorrow. We also intend to bring forward several other pieces of legislation
that address specific issues relating to our departure from the European Union,
also with a view to ensuring continuity and certainty, in particular for
businesses. We will of course continue to fulfill our responsibilities as a
member state while we remain a member of the European Union, and the
legislation we propose will not come into effect until we leave.
From the start and throughout the discussions, we
will negotiate as one United Kingdom, taking due account of the specific
interests of every nation and region of the UK as we do so. When it comes to
the return of powers back to the United Kingdom, we will consult fully on which
powers should reside in Westminster and which should be devolved to Scotland,
Wales and Northern Ireland. But it is the expectation of the Government that
the outcome of this process will be a significant increase in the
decision-making power of each devolved administration.
Negotiations between the United Kingdom and the
European Union
The United Kingdom wants to agree with the
European Union a deep and special partnership that takes in both economic and
security cooperation. To achieve this, we believe it is necessary to agree the
terms of our future partnership alongside those of our withdrawal from the EU.
If, however, we leave the European Union without an agreement the default
position is that we would have to trade on World Trade Organisation terms. In
security terms a failure to reach agreement would mean our cooperation in the
fight against crime and terrorism would be weakened. In this kind of scenario,
both the United Kingdom and the European Union would of course cope with the
change, but it is not the outcome that either side should seek. We must
therefore work hard to avoid that outcome.
It is for these reasons that we want to be able to
agree a deep and special partnership, taking in both economic and security
cooperation, but it is also because we want to play our part in making sure
that Europe remains strong and prosperous and able to lead in the world,
projecting its values and defending itself from security threats. And we want
the United Kingdom to play its full part in realising that vision for our
continent.
Proposed principles for our discussions
Looking ahead to the discussions which we will
soon begin, I would like to suggest some principles that we might agree to help
make sure that the process is as smooth and successful as possible.
i. We should engage with one another
constructively and respectfully, in a spirit of sincere cooperation.
Since I became Prime Minister of the United
Kingdom I have listened carefully to you, to my fellow EU Heads of Government
and the Presidents of the European Commission and Parliament. That is why the
United Kingdom does not seek membership of the single market: we understand and
respect your position that the four freedoms of the single market are
indivisible and there can be no “cherry picking”.
We also understand that there will be consequences
for the UK of leaving the EU: we know that we will lose influence over the
rules that affect the European economy. We also know that UK companies will, as
they trade within the EU, have to align with rules agreed by institutions of
which we are no longer a part – just as UK companies do in other overseas
markets.
ii. We should always put our citizens first.
There is obvious complexity in the discussions we
are about to undertake, but we should remember that at the heart of our talks
are the interests of all our citizens. There are, for example, many citizens of
the remaining member states living in the United Kingdom, and UK citizens
living elsewhere in the European Union, and we should aim to strike an early
agreement about their rights.
iii. We should work towards securing a
comprehensive agreement.
We want to agree a deep and special partnership
between the UK and the EU, taking in both economic and security cooperation. We
will need to discuss how we determine a fair settlement of the UK’s rights and
obligations as a departing member state, in accordance with the law and in the
spirit of the United Kingdom’s continuing partnership with the EU. But we
believe it is necessary to agree the terms of our future partnership alongside
those of our withdrawal from the EU.
– .
Theresa May
penned the letter.
Theresa May penned the letter. Credit: PA
iv. We should work together to minimise disruption
and give as much certainty as possible.
Investors, businesses and citizens in both the UK
and across the remaining 27 member states – and those from third countries
around the world – want to be able to plan. In order to avoid any cliff-edge as
we move from our current relationship to our future partnership, people and
businesses in both the UK and the EU would benefit from implementation periods
to adjust in a smooth and orderly way to new arrangements. It would help both
sides to minimise unnecessary disruption if we agree this principle early in
the process.
v. In particular, we must pay attention to the
UK’s unique relationship with the Republic of Ireland and the importance of the
peace process in Northern Ireland. The Republic of Ireland is the only EU
member state with a land border with the United Kingdom. We want to avoid a
return to a hard border between our two countries, to be able to maintain the
Common Travel Area between us, and to make sure that the UK’s withdrawal from
the EU does not harm the Republic of Ireland. We also have an important
responsibility to make sure that nothing is done to jeopardise the peace
process in Northern Ireland, and to continue to uphold the Belfast Agreement.
vi. We should begin technical talks on detailed
policy areas as soon as possible, but we should prioritise the biggest
challenges.
Agreeing a high-level approach to the issues
arising from our withdrawal will of course be an early priority. But we also
propose a bold and ambitious Free Trade Agreement between the United Kingdom
and the European Union. This should be of greater scope and ambition than any
such agreement before it so that it covers sectors crucial to our linked
economies such as financial services and network industries. This will require
detailed technical talks, but as the UK is an existing EU member state, both
sides have regulatory frameworks and standards that already match.
We should therefore prioritise how we manage the
evolution of our regulatory frameworks to maintain a fair and open trading
environment, and how we resolve disputes. On the scope of the partnership
between us – on both economic and security matters – my officials will put
forward detailed proposals for deep, broad and dynamic cooperation.
vii. We should continue to work together to
advance and protect our shared European values.
Perhaps now more than ever, the world needs the
liberal, democratic values of Europe. We want to play our part to ensure that
Europe remains strong and prosperous and able to lead in the world, projecting
its values and defending itself from security threats.
The task before us
As I have said, the Government of the United
Kingdom wants to agree a deep and special partnership between the UK and the
EU, taking in both economic and security cooperation. At a time when the growth
of global trade is slowing and there are signs that protectionist instincts are
on the rise in many parts of the world, Europe has a responsibility to stand up
for free trade in the interest of all our citizens. Likewise, Europe’s security
is more fragile today than at any time since the end of the Cold War.
Weakening our cooperation for the prosperity and
protection of our citizens would be a costly mistake. The United Kingdom’s
objectives for our future partnership remain those set out in my Lancaster
House speech of 17 January and the subsequent White Paper published on 2
February. We recognise that it will be a challenge to reach such a
comprehensive agreement within the two-year period set out for withdrawal
discussions in the Treaty. But we believe it is necessary to agree the terms of
our future partnership alongside those of our withdrawal from the EU.
We start from a unique position in these
discussions – close regulatory alignment, trust in one another’s institutions,
and a spirit of cooperation stretching back decades. It is for these reasons,
and because the future partnership between the UK and the EU is of such
importance to both sides, that I am sure it can be agreed in the time period
set out by the Treaty. The task before us is momentous but it should not be
beyond us. After all, the institutions and the leaders of the European Union
have succeeded in bringing together a continent blighted by war into a union of
peaceful nations, and supported the transition of dictatorships to democracy.
Together, I know we are capable of reaching an
agreement about the UK’s rights and obligations as a departing member state,
while establishing a deep and special partnership that contributes towards the
prosperity, security and global power of our continent.
– THERESA MAY
itv.com
Comments
Post a Comment