Latest Brexit update: transitional period to last 21 months

After weeks of intense negotiations, Europe and the United Kingdom announced on Monday that they had reached an agreement over the post-Brexit transitional period. The period will begin on 29 March 2019, the official date on which the UK will leave the EU, until 31 December 2020. It will allow the UK to maintain all the benefits of the single market and customs union for a period of 21 months. Meanwhile a large part of the agreement on the UK’s withdrawal from the bloc was validated, and this was welcomed by both sides: Michel Barnier, Europe’s chief negotiator, and David Davis, the UK’s Brexit minister. UK expats in the EU and Europeans settled in the UK will maintain their rights during the transitional period, even if they arrive after the date of Brexit, it has been confirmed. However, the thorny issue of the Irish border remains unresolved. On Thursday and Friday, a European summit will allow leaders of the EU27 to agree their position on the trade negotiations with the UK, with this crucial aspect of the talks yet to be reached.