BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union cleared the way Friday for Brexit talks with Britain to move onto the second stage but it warned that the discussions on trade and other matters relating to their future relationship will be “dramatically difficult.”

The 27 leaders authorized the move with little fanfare on Friday, almost nine months after Britain triggered the two- year mechanism by which it will leave the bloc. With so little time left before Brexit is due to take place, negotiators face a tight deadline to carve out a wide-ranging separation deal.

EU Council President Tusk said a deal by March 2019 is “still realistic and of course dramatically difficult. For sure, the second phase will be more demanding, more challenging than the first phase.”

EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said he expected talks to resume in March, giving negotiators little over eight months to wrap up the deal, since the EU legislature and the EU member states will need time to get the necessary approvals in time for the scheduled Brexit day on March 29, 2019.

To give Britain more time, a transition phase of about two years is expected to be an early point of discussion.

May was already back in Britain on Friday when the 27 other EU leaders agreed that “sufficient progress” had been made in the initial Brexit talks on the outstanding EU bill Britain will have to pay, the rights of citizens in each other’s areas and the commitment to maintain a transparent border between Ireland and Northern Ireland.

She said their agreement “is an important step on the road to delivering a smooth and orderly Brexit and forging our deep and special future partnership.”

The Times Record Sustaining Sponsor
We believe a community must be informed to thrive. bowdoin.edu