Uk Eu Draft Withdrawal Agreement

The UK and EU Draft Withdrawal Agreement: What You Need to Know

After months of negotiations, the UK and the EU have reached an agreement regarding the country`s departure from the union. The draft withdrawal agreement was published on November 14th, 2018, outlining the terms of the UK`s exit from the EU. The agreement covers a wide range of topics including citizen`s rights, the financial settlement, and the Irish border. In this article, we`ll take a closer look at some of the key points of the draft withdrawal agreement.

Citizen`s Rights

One of the main concerns for both the UK and EU citizens was the effect that Brexit would have on their rights. The draft withdrawal agreement seeks to address this by providing the following protections:

- EU citizens living in the UK and UK citizens living in the EU will be able to stay in their respective countries with the same rights as before.

- UK citizens living in the EU will be able to have their pensions and benefits payments exported.

- Both UK and EU citizens will be able to travel freely in and out of the EU for short periods.

Financial Settlement

The financial settlement has been a contentious issue in the Brexit negotiations. The UK has agreed to pay a settlement to the EU to cover its outstanding financial obligations. The total amount of the settlement is estimated to be between €40 billion and €45 billion. This amount will cover the UK`s share of the EU budget until the end of 2020, as well as other financial commitments.

The Irish Border

The issue of the Irish border has been one of the most challenging aspects of the Brexit negotiations. The draft withdrawal agreement provides for a “backstop” arrangement, which would come into effect if there is no satisfactory agreement on the future relationship between the UK and the EU. Under the backstop arrangement, Northern Ireland would remain in the EU customs union, while the rest of the UK would leave. This would avoid the need for a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Next Steps

The draft withdrawal agreement is a significant step forward in the Brexit negotiations. However, it is worth noting that it still needs to be approved by EU member states and the UK parliament. The final agreement will need to be ratified by March 29th, 2019, which is the date when the UK is scheduled to leave the EU.

In conclusion, the draft withdrawal agreement provides some much-needed clarity on the terms of the UK`s exit from the EU. While there are still some outstanding issues to be resolved, the agreement represents a significant milestone in the Brexit negotiations.