BREXIT CHANGES AS OF FEBRUARY 1, 2020

The Brexit will take place at midnight on Friday, 1,317 days after the British decision to leave the European Union. What will change on February 1, 2020?

With the ratification of the withdrawal agreement, the United Kingdom will leave the Union in an orderly fashion on midnight on January 31, 2020. It will no longer be a member state of the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community from 1 February 2020.

A so-called “transition” period then opens, according to the conditions set out in the withdrawal agreement.

During this transitional period - which is scheduled until 31 December 2020 but which can be extended by one or two years - it is European Union law which applies to the United Kingdom.

This transition period provided for in the withdrawal agreement will give everyone time to prepare for the implementation of the withdrawal agreement and to anticipate the future relationship between the EU and the United Kingdom, which has yet to be negotiated. .

During this 11-month transitional period, London and Brussels will negotiate their future relationship, which in particular will help citizens, businesses and administrations to adapt to the withdrawal from the United Kingdom.

Some practical changes will however take place between now and then.


1 ° 66 million fewer inhabitants -

Friday at midnight (23:00 GMT), the European Union will for the first time lose a member state, which is one of the largest and richest countries in the bloc.

With the departure of 66 million inhabitants, the EU will see its population increase to around 446 million. Its territory will decrease by 5.5%.

If the UK ever decides to return, it will have to go through the usual membership procedure.

2 ° The institutions -

In Brussels, the withdrawal of the Union Jack from the European Parliament will symbolize a very real change: the United Kingdom leaves the EU and becomes a "third country".

None of the 73 British MEPs elected in May will sit. 46 seats will be reserved for future member states and 27 will be redistributed.

London will no longer have the right to present a candidate for a post of European Commissioner. There was no longer any British representative in the European executive, Boris Johnson having refused to propose one in the new Commission.

The British Prime Minister will no longer be invited to European summits, nor will members of the government attend ministerial meetings.

As citizens of a foreign country, the British will no longer be able to aspire to civil servant posts in Brussels. Many of them, however, acquired dual nationality in order to be able to stay.

On the other hand, the United Kingdom, the second largest contributor to the EU budget after Germany, will continue to pay until the end of the transition.


3 ° Transition period for expatriates

According to the United Nations, around 1.2 million British citizens live in an EU country, mainly in Spain, Ireland, France, Germany and Italy.

According to the British statistics office, 2.9 million nationals from the 27 EU countries live in the United Kingdom, or around 4.6% of the population. Under the withdrawal agreement, expatriates living in on either side of the Channel before the end of the transition period will retain their rights to reside and work in their host country.

European citizens residing in the United Kingdom must register to benefit from these rights. For Britons living in the EU, the procedures differ from country to country.

Freedom of movement will apply until the end of December 2020. Details of the reciprocal rights will be negotiated after Brexit.

This will however change for British nationals in France from the date of withdrawal: British nationals residing in France will no longer be able to participate in the election of the representatives of France in the European Parliament nor, either, in the municipal elections. They will no longer be able to vote or stand for election. The nationality condition (being a national of a Member State of the European Union) provided for by article 2-1 of the law of July 7, 1977 relating to the election of representatives to the European Parliament and article LO 227- 1 for the municipal elections will no longer be filled and British nationals will therefore lose their right to vote for these elections. British nationals who also have French nationality are therefore not affected by the above. The current mandates can go until their term.

4 ° Negotiations -

The UK has already spent several years negotiating the terms of its departure with the European Commission task force headed by Michel Barnier.

But negotiations will enter a new phase after Friday.

The UK will however remain subject to EU law and the EU Court of Justice until the end of the transition.

Michel Barnier is in discussions with the member states to define a negotiating mandate for the future relationship, in particular at the commercial level.

Unlike the agreement between the United Kingdom and the Commission, ratified by the member states and the European Parliament, the trade agreement may need to be endorsed by more than 30 national and regional parliaments.




Abby Shelcore for DayNewsWorld