Czech Prime Minister backed the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement

At an extraordinary EU27 summit, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš backed the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement and the political declaration on future relations. After more than a year and a half, the European Union has thus made a major step towards an orderly Brexit.

“Today's meeting was quick and to the point, and clearly confirmed that the European Union is strong and consistent in the case of Brexit. Brexit is a lose-lose situation; we are not fighting, but looking for the best possible compromise. And I am convinced that we have succeeded today”, said the Czech Prime Minister after the meeting.

Today in Brussels, the leaders of twenty-seven Member States approved two key materials. The first is a legally binding, nearly six-hundred-page withdrawal agreement. It focuses on protecting citizens’ rights or on financial settlement of mutual obligations. The other document approved by the EU27 leaders today is a political declaration on the future relations between the EU and the UK. It states that the EU and the UK must have the closest possible relations in the future. The negotiations on these relations will begin when the UK leaves the EU in March 2019 and becomes a “third country”.

In these negotiations, the EU will seek a visa-free relationship so that travel and work in the UK are as easy as possible for EU citizens. In the case of goods, the EU will seek not just zero tariffs but also a regulatory regime which is as similar as possible.

The legally binding Brexit Withdrawal Agreement must be ratified in the British Parliament and the European Parliament. Only then will it enter into force on 30 March 2019.

“The European Council today successfully completed the Brexit process, now it is the British parliament’s turn. Without the ratification of the agreement, unfortunately we still have to consider the possibility of a hard Brexit. This would have a significant impact on both sides. No one wants such a scenario, but we have to be prepared for it”, said Prime Minister Andrej Babiš.