Report by President Donald Tusk about Brexit
Donald Tusk has just released the last report to the European Parliament on European Council meetings of 17 and 18 October 2019.
Brexit
When it comes to Brexit, Tusk remarks the following:
The European Council endorsed the deal reached by our negotiator and Prime Minister Johnson’s government.
As you know, it is based on the deal that we agreed with the previous government. The changes concern the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland, formerly known as the backstop.
Prime Minister Johnson’s acceptance to have customs checks at the points of entry into Northern Ireland will allow us to avoid border checks between Ireland and Northern Ireland, and will ensure the integrity of the Single Market.
The revised deal was possible and acceptable to the EU because: firstly, it had the support of Ireland; secondly, it had the support of the European Commission, ensuring that all our negotiating objectives were met; and thirdly, because it avoids a chaotic no-deal Brexit.
On the Council side, we have just finalised the necessary steps for the EU’s approval, and the legal texts are now with you. The European Parliament has a role to play, and it is an important one.
The situation is quite complex following events over the weekend in the UK, and the British request for an extension of the Article 50 process. I am consulting the leaders on how to react, and will decide in the coming days.
It is obvious that the result of these consultations will very much depend on what the British parliament decides, or doesn’t decide. We should be ready for every scenario. But one thing must be clear: as I said to Prime Minister Johnson on Saturday, a no-deal Brexit will never be our decision.
