Erstmals hat mit Großbritannien ein EU-Mitglied den Austritt aus dem Staatenbund offiziell beantragt. In Brüssel wurde das Trennungsgesuch EU-Ratspräsident Tusk übergeben. Zeitgleich trat Premierministerin May vor das Parlament in London.

Die britische Premierministerin Theresa May hat offiziell den Austritt ihres Landes aus der Europäischen Union beantragt. Mit ihrer Erklärung im britischen Parlament machte May den Weg frei für die zweijährigen Brexit-Verhandlungen mit Brüssel. Die konservative Politikerin versprach, jeden Briten in den kommenden Verhandlungen zu vertreten und den Brexit zu einem Erfolg zu machen. "Unsere besten Tage liegen vor uns", erklärte sie im Unterhaus. "Dies ist ein historischer Moment, von dem es kein Zurück mehr gibt. Nun ist die Zeit für uns gekommen zusammenzustehen." Bereits am Abend hatte May den entsprechenden Antrag unterzeichnet.

Großbritannien müsse "stärker, fairer und vereinter" aus der Europäischen Union hervorgehen. "Für die europäischen Partner wird Großbritannien der beste Freund und Nachbar sein", betonte die Premierministerin. Die Welt brauche heute dringender denn je die liberalen, demokratischen Werte Europas.

Scheidungspapiere offiziell übergeben

Kurz zuvor hatte der britische Botschafter Tim Barrow in Brüssel das Trennungsgesuch an EU-Ratspräsident Tusk übergeben. Das bestätigte Tusk auf Twitter. "Nach neun Monaten hat Großbritannien geliefert", schrieb Tusk. Damit ist das Verfahren nach Artikel 50 des Lissabon-Vertrages, das den Austritt formell regelt, eingeleitet. Der EU-Ratspräsident bedauerte den Schritt der Briten. "Wir vermissen euch jetzt schon. Danke und auf Wiedersehen", sagte er in seiner Stellungnahme, nachdem er das Brexit-Gesuch Großbritanniens entgegengenommen hatte.

Der britische EU-Botschafter Barrow übergibt das Trennungsgesuch an EU-Ratspräsident Tusk.

Es gebe keinen Grund, so zu tun, als wäre dies "ein glücklicher Tag", erklärte Tusk weiter. "Es gibt nichts in diesem Prozess zu gewinnen", sagte Tusk. Beim Brexit gehe es darum, "Schadensbegrenzung" zu betreiben und die Kosten für die EU-Bürger, Unternehmen und Mitgliedstaaten so gering wie möglich zu halten.

Nun beginnen zwei Jahre Verhandlungen um die Bedingungen und Kosten des Austritts Großbritanniens aus der EU sowie über die Grundlage der zukünftigen Beziehungen. Bisher herrscht nicht einmal über den Verhandlungsfahrplan Einigkeit. Die EU-Mitgliedschaft Großbritanniens wird, sollte der Zeitplan eingehalten werden, voraussichtlich im März 2019 enden.

Mehr zum Thema Brexit: Was kommt auf den Verhandlungstisch?

EU-Sondergipfel zum Brexit

Mitte März hatten die Abgeordneten May mit der Verabschiedung des Brexit-Gesetzes die Vollmacht für den Austrittsantrag erteilt. Nachdem das entsprechende Schreiben beim Europäischen Rat eingetroffen ist, liegt der Ball in Brüssel. EU-Ratspräsident Tusk kündigte an, dass er bis Freitag seinen Vorschlag für das Verhandlungsmandat fertiggestellt haben werde. Er werde seine Pläne für die Leitlinien den 27 Mitgliedstaaten auf dem EU-Sondergipfel in Malta vorlegen.

Auf dieser Basis dieser Empfehlungen schlägt die EU-Kommission den Start der Verhandlungen und ein Mandat vor - also den offiziellen Auftrag für das Verhandlungsteam. Das Mandat muss dann vom Rat bestätigt werden. Die Briten hatten im vergangenen Juni in einem historischen Referendum mit knapper Mehrheit für den Brexit gestimmt.

Scheidung in genau zwei Jahren? Nicht unbedingt Mit dem heute eingereichten "Scheidungsantrag" der Briten beginnt die zweijährige Austrittsfrist. Können sich die EU und die Briten in der Zeit nicht auf ein Austrittsabkommen einigen, scheidet das Vereinigte Königreich mit Ablauf des 29. März 2019 automatisch aus der EU aus.



Allerdings ist es nicht zwingend, dass die Briten tatsächlich in genau zwei Jahren aus der EU raus sind. Einigen sich die EU und die Briten nämlich auf ein Austrittsabkommen, scheiden die Briten mit Wirksamwerden des Abkommens aus der EU aus. Allerdings kann in dem Austrittsabkommen auch ein späterer Zeitpunkt für den EU-Austritt vereinbart werden.



Eine dritte Variante ist, dass sich die Briten und die EU zwar einig sind, dass sie ein Austrittsabkommen wollen, aber noch mehr Zeit für die Verhandlungen benötigen. Dann können sie die Zwei-Jahres-Frist verlängern. Anders als beim Austrittsabkommen ist für die reine Fristverlängerung aber Einstimmigkeit im Europäischen Rat erforderlich. Das heißt, alle verbleibenden 27 europäischen Regierungen müssten der Fristverlängerung zustimmen. Von Tobias Sindram, ARD-Rechtsredaktion</s>British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday formally triggered the Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty by sending a letter to the European Council President Donald Tusk. The letter officially initiates the process of Britain's divorce from the European Union.

Tusk will now have to respond to the letter with "draft Brexit guidelines" within 48 hours, which gives him time until Friday.

Here's the complete text of May's letter to Tusk:

On 23 June last year, the people of the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union. As I have said before, that decision was no rejection of the values we share as fellow Europeans. Nor was it an attempt to do harm to the European Union or any of the remaining member states. On the contrary, the United Kingdom wants the European Union to succeed and prosper. Instead, the referendum was a vote to restore, as we see it, our national self-determination. We are leaving the European Union, but we are not leaving Europe – and we want to remain committed partners and allies to our friends across the continent.

Earlier this month, the United Kingdom Parliament confirmed the result of the referendum by voting with clear and convincing majorities in both of its Houses for the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill. The Bill was passed by Parliament on 13 March and it received Royal Assent from Her Majesty The Queen and became an Act of Parliament on 16 March.

Today, therefore, I am writing to give effect to the democratic decision of the people of the United Kingdom. I hereby notify the European Council in accordance with Article 50(2) of the Treaty onEuropean Union of the United Kingdom's intention to withdraw from the European Union. In addition, in accordance with the same Article 50(2) as applied by Article 106a of the Treaty Establishing the European Atomic Energy Community, I hereby notify the European Council of the United Kingdom's intention to withdraw from the European Atomic Energy Community. References in this letter to the European Union should therefore be taken to include a reference to the European Atomic Energy Community.

This letter sets out the approach of Her Majesty's Government to the discussions we will have about the United Kingdom's departure from the European Union and about the deep and special partnership we hope to enjoy – as your closest friend and neighbour – with the European Union once we leave. We believe that these objectives are in the interests not only of the United Kingdom but of the European Union and the wider world too.

It is in the best interests of both the United Kingdom and the European Union that we should use the forthcoming process to deliver these objectives in a fair and orderly manner, and with as little disruption as possible on each side. We want to make sure that Europe remains strong and prosperous and is capable of projecting its values, leading in the world, and defending itself from security threats. We want the United Kingdom, through a new deep and special partnership with a strong European Union, to play its full part in achieving these goals. We therefore believe it is necessary to agree the terms of our future partnership alongside those of our withdrawal from the European Union.

The Government wants to approach our discussions with ambition, giving citizens and businesses in the United Kingdom and the European Union – and indeed from third countries around the world – as much certainty as possible, as early as possible.

I would like to propose some principles that may help to shape our coming discussions, but before I do so, I should update you on the process we will be undertaking at home, in the United Kingdom.

The process in the United Kingdom

As I have announced already, the Government will bring forward legislation that will repeal the Act of Parliament – the European Communities Act 1972 – that gives effect to EU law in our country. This legislation will, wherever practical and appropriate, in effect convert the body of existing European Union law (the "acquis") into UK law. This means there will be certainty for UK citizens and for anybody from the European Union who does business in the United Kingdom. The Government will consult on how we design and implement this legislation, and we will publish a White Paper tomorrow. We also intend to bring forward several other pieces of legislation that address specific issues relating to our departure from the European Union, also with a view to ensuring continuity and certainty, in particular for businesses. We will of course continue to fulfil our responsibilities as a member state while we remain a member of the European Union, and the legislation we propose will not come into effect until we leave.

From the start and throughout the discussions, we will negotiate as one United Kingdom, taking due account of the specific interests of every nation and region of the UK as we do so. When it comes to the return of powers back to the United Kingdom, we will consult fully on which powers should reside in Westminster and which should be devolved to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. But it is the expectation of the Government that the outcome of this process will be a significant increase in the decision-making power of each devolved administration.

Negotiations between the United Kingdom and the European Union

The United Kingdom wants to agree with the European Union a deep and special partnership that takes in both economic and security cooperation. To achieve this, we believe it is necessary to agree the terms of our future partnership alongside those of our withdrawal from the EU.

If, however, we leave the European Union without an agreement the default position is that we would have to trade on World Trade Organisation terms. In security terms a failure to reach agreement would mean our cooperation in the fight against crime and terrorism would be weakened. In this kind of scenario, both the United Kingdom and the European Union would of course cope with the change, but it is not the outcome that either side should seek. We must therefore work hard to avoid that outcome.

It is for these reasons that we want to be able to agree a deep and special partnership, taking in both economic and security cooperation, but it is also because we want to play our part in making sure that Europe remains strong and prosperous and able to lead in the world, projecting its values and defending itself from security threats. And we want the United Kingdom to play its full part in realising that vision for our continent.

Looking ahead to the discussions which we will soon begin, I would like to suggest some principles that we might agree to help make sure that the process is as smooth and successful as possible.

i. We should engage with one another constructively and respectfully, in a spirit of sincere cooperation. Since I became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom I have listened carefully to you, to my fellow EU Heads of Government and the Presidents of the European Commission and Parliament. That is why the United Kingdom does not seek membership of the single market: we understand and respect your position that the four freedoms of the single market are indivisible and there can be no "cherry picking". We also understand that there will be consequences for the UK of leaving the EU: we know that we will lose influence over the rules that affect the European economy. We also know that UK companies will, as they trade within the EU, have to align with rules agreed by institutions of which we are no longer a part – just as UK companies do in other overseas markets.

ii. We should always put our citizens first. There is obvious complexity in the discussions we are about to undertake, but we should remember that at the heart of our talks are the interests of all our citizens. There are, for example, many citizens of the remaining member states living in the United Kingdom, and UK citizens living elsewhere in the European Union, and we should aim to strike an early agreement about their rights.

iii. We should work towards securing a comprehensive agreement. We want to agree a deep and special partnership between the UK and the EU, taking in both economic and security cooperation. We will need to discuss how we determine a fair settlement of the UK's rights and obligations as a departing member state, in accordance with the law and in the spirit of the United Kingdom's continuing partnership with the EU. But we believe it is necessary to agree the terms of our future partnership alongside those of our withdrawal from the EU.

iv. We should work together to minimise disruption and give as much certainty as possible. Investors, businesses and citizens in both the UK and across the remaining 27 member states – and those from third countries around the world – want to be able to plan. In order to avoid any cliff-edge as we move from our current relationship to our future partnership, people and businesses in both the UK and the EU would benefit from implementation periods to adjust in a smooth and orderly way to new arrangements. It would help both sides to minimise unnecessary disruption if we agree this principle early in the process.

v. In particular, we must pay attention to the UK's unique relationship with the Republic of Ireland and the importance of the peace process in Northern Ireland. The Republic of Ireland is the only EU member state with a land border with the United Kingdom. We want to avoid a return to a hard border between our two countries, to be able to maintain the Common Travel Area between us, and to make sure that the UK's withdrawal from the EU does not harm the Republic of Ireland. We also have an important responsibility to make sure that nothing is done to jeopardise the peace process in Northern Ireland, and to continue to uphold the Belfast Agreement.

vi. We should begin technical talks on detailed policy areas as soon as possible, but we should prioritise the biggest challenges. Agreeing a high-level approach to the issues arising from our withdrawal will of course be an early priority. But we also propose a bold and ambitious Free Trade Agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union. This should be of greater scope and ambition than any such agreement before it so that it covers sectors crucial to our linked economies such as financial services and network industries. This will require detailed technical talks, but as the UK is an existing EU member state, both sides have regulatory frameworks and standards that already match. We should therefore prioritise how we manage the evolution of our regulatory frameworks to maintain a fair and open trading environment, and how we resolve disputes. On the scope of the partnership between us – on both economic and security matters – my officials will put forward detailed proposals for deep, broad and dynamic cooperation.

vii. We should continue to work together to advance and protect our shared European values. Perhaps now more than ever, the world needs the liberal, democratic values of Europe. We want to play our part to ensure that Europe remains strong and prosperous and able to lead in the world, projecting its values and defending itself from security threats.

The task before us

As I have said, the Government of the United Kingdom wants to agree a deep and special partnership between the UK and the EU, taking in both economic and security cooperation. At a time when the growth of global trade is slowing and there are signs that protectionist instincts are on the rise in many parts of the world, Europe has a responsibility to stand up for free trade in the interest of all our citizens. Likewise, Europe's security is more fragile today than at any time since the end of the Cold War. Weakening our cooperation for the prosperity and protection of our citizens would be a costly mistake. The United Kingdom's objectives for our future partnership remain those set out in my Lancaster House speech of 17 January and the subsequent White Paper published on 2 February.

We recognise that it will be a challenge to reach such a comprehensive agreement within the two-year period set out for withdrawal discussions in the Treaty. But we believe it is necessary to agree the terms of our future partnership alongside those of our withdrawal from the EU. We start from a unique position in these discussions – close regulatory alignment, trust in one another's institutions, and a spirit of cooperation stretching back decades. It is for these reasons, and because the future partnership between the UK and the EU is of such importance to both sides, that I am sure it can be agreed in the time period set out by the Treaty.

The task before us is momentous but it should not be beyond us. After all, the institutions and the leaders of the European Union have succeeded in bringing together a continent blighted by war into a union of peaceful nations, and supported the transition of dictatorships to democracy. Together, I know we are capable of reaching an agreement about the UK's rights and obligations as a departing member state, while establishing a deep and special partnership that contributes towards the prosperity, security and global power of our continent.</s>Tajani continued to state that if no deal is struck, the partnership between Brussels and London "will be controlled by the norms of the [World Trade Organization] WTO, which include among others tariffs for the goods."

In order to help maintain good relations between the European Union and the United Kingdom, in particular in the area of counterterrorism and defense, Tajani stressed that it is crucial a "clear agreement" is reached during the talks.

"We are hoping that the talks will be successful, and the European Union will be able to speak on the issue of the agreement at the beginning of 2019," the head of the European Parliament said.

The United Kingdom's exit from the European Union formally began on Wednesday, after it was confirmed that a letter triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon treaty, penned and signed by UK Prime Minister Theresa May, was delivered to European Council President Donald Tusk. According to Article 50, the United Kingdom now has two years to complete the negotiations, and must leave the European Union on March 29, 2019.

The talks between London and Brussels are expected to be mainly focused on the issue of mutual recognition of the rights of EU nationals in the United Kingdom and UK citizens in the European Union, as well as on maintaining free access to the markets and freedom of movement. The talks are expected to begin as early as this coming May.</s>MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Less than a week after the European Union's 60th birthday, Britain has finally invoked Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty in a letter to European Council President Donald Tusk, starting a two-year countdown to its withdrawal.

"In all of its 60-year history, the process of European integration has never been a direct road, rather a twisting path with different speeds and occasional stops. But, until today, this process had never been reversed. This may as well be a start of European ‘disintegration’," Chizhov told Rossiya-24 TV channel.

The United Kingdom held a referendum last June and decided to leave the European Union: 51.9% of the voters supported the move and 48.1% opposed it.

Britons that still approve the Brexit vote result stand at 44 percent, just slightly above the 43 percent of respondents who regret the decision to leave the European Union, a YouGov poll indicated.</s>The United Kingdom filed for divorce from the European Union on Wednesday, overturning four decades of integration with its neighbors, demolishing the notion that EU expansion is inevitable and shaking the foundations of a bloc that is facing challenges to its identity and its place in the world. Britain's top envoy to the EU, Tim Barrow, hand-delivered a letter to European Council President Donald Tusk formally triggering a two-year countdown to the final split.

Start the conversation, or Read more at WANE-TV Fort Wayne.</s>MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The United Kingdom's exit from the EU formally began on Wednesday after a letter triggering Article 50 of the EU treaty signed by UK Prime Minister Theresa May is delivered to Brussels later in the day.

"We are tough on one issue as the European Parliament, that is that we can never accept that you have a state outside the European Union who is more favorable than membership inside the European Union. So on that we will be unflexible," Verhofstadt told Sky News in an interview.

The EU chief Brexit negotiator added that it was necessary to find a new relationship, and that Brussels believed "association agreement is the best way to go forward to give again certainty and stability in this relationship between the UK on the one hand and the EU on the other hand."

The European Union member states' permanent representatives are expected to gather on Friday to draft a detailed Brexit negotiations plan, which would be considered at the April 27 European Council meeting and the April 29 Special European Council on Article 50.</s>BRUSSELS/MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Tusk said in televised remarks that "paradoxically," Brexit "has made the community of the 27 [EU members] more determined and more united than before."

"There is no reason to pretend that this is a happy day, neither in Brussels nor in London. After all, most Europeans including almost half the British voters, wish that we would stay together, not drift apart," Tusk said.

"Today I can say we will remain determined and united also during the difficult negotiations ahead," he said.

"Our goal is clear: to minimize the costs for EU citizens, businesses and member states. We will do everything in our power and we have all the tools to achieve this goal," Tusk said in televised remarks.

"There is nothing to win in this process, and I'm talking about both sides. In essence, this is about damage control," Tusk said.

Tusk said he planned to offer the remaining EU member states' negotiating proposals for the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the bloc on Friday.

The remaining 27 European Union member states will "act as one" in negotiations over the United Kingdom's withdrawal and hope to keep it as a close partner, the European Council said in a statement Wednesday.

"In these negotiations the Union will act as one and preserve its interests," the Council said after a letter triggering Article 50 of the EU treaty was formally delivered to its chief. "Therefore, we will start by focusing on all key arrangements for an orderly withdrawal."

"We will approach these talks constructively and strive to find an agreement. In the future, we hope to have the United Kingdom as a close partner," the Council stressed.

Earlier in the day, British Prime Minister Theresa May addressed the House of Commons after triggering Article 50 of the Treaty of the European Union. The UK prime minister said that there can be "no turning back" from Brexit as the Article 50 has been triggered.

UK Permanent Representative to the European Union Tim Barrow gave a letter of official notification of the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the bloc signed by UK Prime Minister Theresa May to Tusk earlier on Wednesday.

After the letter is received by the European Council, the two-year countdown on Brexit negotiations will begin.

According to the rules set out by the Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, the country which wishes to withdraw from the bloc has to do so two years after the official notification. Therefore, the United Kingdom should leave the European Union on March 29, 2019.</s>It has been described as the most complex divorce in history, but Wednesday afternoon, the breakup began in earnest as Britain formally launched its move to leave the European Union.

Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, received a letter in Brussels hand-delivered by Sir Tim Barrow, Britain’s ambassador to the EU, which triggered Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, setting off a two-year withdrawal process.

Minutes later, British Prime Minister Theresa May, who sent the letter to Tusk, announced in the House of Commons that her government was acting on the “democratic will of the British people,” who in June voted 52% to 48% to split from the 28-nation union.

The move Wednesday signifies one of the greatest political changes the continent has faced since the end of World War II.

The letter delivery kick-started a period of intense, probably fraught, negotiations that ultimately are expected to bring the end of a four-decades-old partnership and sever complex trade, immigration, legal and financial ties.

Some European leaders have emphasized that Britain cannot expect to have deals as good as the remaining 27 nations in the bloc. And EU leaders do not want to do anything to encourage other nations to follow Britain’s lead, weakening the group.

One sticking point is a potentially costly “divorce bill” based on future spending commitments that Britain could face, which, by some estimates, would be more than $60 billion.

The deals struck over the next 24 months are expected to fundamentally reshape Britain and Europe for generations to come.

In her speech to lawmakers, May declared that “there can be no turning back” from this historic moment, describing it as a great time of opportunity for Britain and evoking the notion of the indomitable “British spirit.”

“At moments like these — great turning points in our national story — the choices we make define the character of our nation,” she said. “We can choose to say the task ahead is too great. We can choose to turn our face to the past and believe it can’t be done. Or we can look forward with optimism and hope — and to believe in the enduring power of the British spirit.”

She also implored all sections of society to come together after a fractious referendum campaign that bitterly divided the nation into two camps: “Remain” and “Leave.”

That task appears difficult to achieve as the very future unity of the United Kingdom — comprising England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — is in question.

In Scotland, where 62% of voters in the June referendum favored remaining part of the EU, the Scottish parliament voted Tuesday in favor of an independence referendum within two years, once the terms of Britain’s exit deal are known.

In Ireland there are concerns about the future stability of the 1998 Good Friday peace agreement as the Republic of Ireland will remain in the EU, while Northern Ireland will be part of post- “Brexit” Britain.

Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny has warned that two decades of peace talks could be undermined if new border checkpoints go up and Britain potentially breaks from an EU customs agreement.

May, in her six-page letter to Tusk, included the Ireland-Northern Ireland issue as one of seven principles that British negotiators want high on the agenda in Brexit talks.

Political leaders and many observers say the status of the 3 million EU citizens living in Britain and more than 1 million Brits living abroad should be decided quickly.

“The most upsetting thing for any expat at the moment is that these rights could have been guaranteed,” said Adam Bowering, a British citizen working in the European Parliament in Brussels. “But now they're being used as a bargaining chip in the negotiations.”

May does not want Brexit to be seen as Britain turning its back on its European neighbors, but instead as finding a new way to exist as an independent, sovereign nation while maintaining robust economic, trade and intelligence ties with the continent.

But she has also stressed that she would be willing to walk away from the negotiations at the end of two years with no deal, if the only option on the table is a bad one.

European leaders have set their own red lines and made clear that Britain cannot “cherry pick” the best parts of EU membership and reject the others as it seeks to forge a new relationship.

“It will never be outside the union better than inside the union,” Guy Verhofstadt, a European Parliament official and former Belgian prime minister, said in a Brussels news conference Wednesday.

“That is not a question of revenge,” he said.

The tone across the Channel on Wednesday was far from celebratory and Tusk struck a regretful tone during a news conference soon after receiving May's letter.

"There is no reason to pretend this is a happy day, neither in Brussels nor in London,” Tusk said. “There is nothing to win in this process, and I am talking about both sides. In the essence, this is about damage control.

"What can I add? We already miss you," he said.

EU leaders also sought to dispel fears that Britain’s departure from the bloc will create a domino effect, but there are looming threats to the union’s unity.

France will hold presidential elections in April and May, and Marine Le Pen, one of the front-runners from the far-right National Front party, has vowed to hold a referendum on France's membership in the EU.

“Brexit has made us, the community of 27, more determined and more united than before,” Tusk said.

May's letter comes on the heels of a celebration in Rome last weekend, where leaders from the remaining 27 EU countries pledged their commitment to a unified Europe.

But some cautioned that Britain will suffer outside the EU and should brace for an exit deal that will bruise foreign trade and cripple the nation’s economy.

Brexit would be “economically painful” for Britain, French President Francois Hollande warned.

In her letter, May seemed to imply that failing to reach an agreement could compromise Europe’s ability to fight crime and terrorism, which some EU leaders took as a veiled threat.

“Europe’s security is more fragile today than at any time since the end of the Cold War,” May wrote. “Weakening our cooperation for the prosperity and protection of our citizens would be a costly mistake.”</s>A demonstrator wearing a mask depicting Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May protests against the UK's triggering of Article 50, outside the Houses of Parliament in central London yesterday. Pic/AFP

London: British Prime Minister Theresa May filed formal Brexit divorce papers yesterday, pitching the UK into the unknown and triggering years of uncertain negotiations that will test the cohesion of the European Union.

Nine months after Britons voted to leave, May notified EU Council President Donald Tusk through a hand-delivered letter that the UK is quitting the bloc under Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty.



The front pages of UK daily newspapers reporting on the Brexit launch. Pic/AFP

The PM, an initial opponent of Brexit who won the top job in the political turmoil that followed the referendum vote, now has two years to settle the terms of the divorce before it comes into effect in late March 2019.

"The United Kingdom is leaving the European Union," May told lawmakers in the British Parliament. "This is a historic moment from which there can be no turning back."

May has one of the toughest jobs of any recent British PM: holding Britain together in the face of renewed Scottish independence demands, while conducting arduous talks with 27 other EU states on finance, trade, security and other complex issues.

For the EU, already reeling from successive crises over debt and refugees, the loss of Britain is the biggest blow yet to 60 years of efforts to forge European unity in the wake of two devastating world wars. Its leaders say they do not want to punish Britain. But with nationalist, anti-EU parties on the rise across Europe, they cannot afford to give London generous terms that might encourage other member states to break away.

Donald Tusk, European Council President

'We already miss you. Thank you and goodbye.'

Sigmar Gabriel, Foreign Minister, Germany

'The negotiations will surely not be easy for either side. Bad feelings are understandable. But this can't be the basis for defining our future relationship.'

Ford Motor Company, US carmaker 

'Any deal must include securing tariff-free trade with the wider Customs Union and not just the EU27, whilst retaining access to the best talent and resources.'</s>The Taoiseach has appealed directly to European leaders to include Ireland's "unique circumstances" in the "ground rules" of Brexit talks, writes Elaine Loughlin in Malta.

Enda Kenny has today asked European Union leaders for their support for the Northern Ireland peace process when Brexit talks begin.

Speaking at an EPP event in Malta attended by a number of EU heads including Angela Merkel, Mariano Rajoy and European Council President Donald Tusk, Mr Kenny pointed to the the "unique circumstances that apply in Ireland's case."

He said that up until now Europe's "support has been critical in maintaining the fragile peace process through difficult times.

"Ireland again will ask for your support in continuing that peace process."

The Taoiseach pointed out that Ireland would remain in the EU but Northern Ireland will not and "therefore we need your support and the language of the Good Friday Agreement included in the ground rules in negotiations as Britain exits the European Union."

Mr Kenny said we are now in a "time of unprecedented challenge and unprecedented opportunity".

He said that when the European Union was created it was "never contemplated" that any country would leave.

"That is precisely what the United Kingdom decided democratically to do.

"We must therefore deal with the consequences of that decision."
The United Kingdom formally notifies the European Council of its intention to withdraw from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community. There is not yet agreement on a negotiations roadmap.