LONDON — 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.

“Today the government acts on the democratic will of the British people,” Prime Minister Theresa May told lawmakers in the House of Commons, adding, “This is an historic moment from which there can be no turning back.”

There is “no reason to pretend this is a happy day,” Tusk told reporters, emphasizing that the priority now is to minimize costs for EU citizens and member states.

To Britain, he said: “We already miss you.”

For Britons who voted 52 to 48 percent to leave the bloc in a referendum nine months ago, it was a time for celebration.

“I voted for Brexit and today is the day that vote starts to count,” said Charles Goodacre, a former taxi driver, in the northern England city of Sunderland. “Things have been bad round here for a while and we needed a change.”

Former U.K. Independence Party leader Nigel Farage, who campaigned for years to take Brexit from fringe cause to reality, said Britain had passed “the point of no return.”

“I can still, to be honest with you, scarcely believe today has come,” he said.

Others worried Britain was taking a leap in the dark.

“No one knows. No one knows how this is going to go,” said Nicola Gibson, who works in London’s financial district. “It’s a gamble, it’s a risk. It’s a bit like Trump. It’s such an uncertain place at the moment.”

Those who campaigned for Britain to stay in the EU say they will now fight for a divorce settlement that preserves what they see as key benefits of EU membership, including free trade in goods and services and the right to live and work anywhere in the bloc.

May’s six-page letter to Tusk was polite and conciliatory, stressing that Britons want to remain “committed partners and allies to our friends across the continent.”

She said the two sides should “engage with one another constructively and respectfully, in a spirit of sincere cooperation.”

But there was a hint of steel in May’s assertion that without a good deal, “our cooperation in the fight against crime and terrorism would be weakened.” That could be seen by some in Europe as a threat to withdraw British security cooperation if the U.K. does not get its way.

The loss of a major member is destabilizing for the EU, which is battling to contain a tide of nationalist and populist sentiment and faces unprecedented antipathy from the new resident of the White House.

Speaking in Berlin. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Germany and other EU states “certainly did not wish for this day, because we are losing a strong and important member state.”

But, she added: “The European Union is a historically unique success story. It remains one even after Britain’s withdrawal. We will take care of that.”

The split is even more tumultuous for Britain. For all the U.K. government’s confident talk of forging a close and friendly new relationship with its neighbors, it cannot be sure whether businesses will freely be able to trade, students to study abroad or pensioners to retire with ease in other EU states. Those things have become part of life since the U.K. joined what was then called the European Economic Community in 1973.

The trigger for all the economic and constitutional uncertainty is Article 50, a previously obscure clause of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty that allows a member state to withdraw.

The two sides now have until March 2019 to agree on a divorce settlement and — if possible — establish a new relationship between Britain, the world’s fifth-largest economy, and the EU, a vast single market taking in half a billion people.

Tusk said he will respond by Friday with draft negotiating guidelines for the remaining 27 member states to consider. They’ll meet April 29 to finalize their platform.

Talks between the EU’s chief negotiator, French diplomat Michel Barnier, and his British counterpart, Brexit Secretary David Davis, are likely to start in the second half of May.

As in many divorces, the first area of conflict is likely to be money. The EU wants Britain to pay a hefty bill — Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the EU’s executive Commission, put it at around 50 billion euros ($63 billion) — to cover pension liabilities for EU staff and other commitments the U.K. has agreed to.

Britain acknowledges it will have to pay something, but is sure to quibble over the size of the tab.

Negotiations will also soon hit a major contraction: Britain wants “frictionless” free trade, but says it will restore control of immigration, ending the right of EU citizens to live and work in Britain. The EU says Britain can’t have full access to the single market if it doesn’t accept free movement, one of the bloc’s key principles.

Both Britain and the EU say a top priority will be guaranteeing the rights of 3 million EU citizens living in Britain, and 1 million Britons living elsewhere in the bloc.

The two sides also appear to disagree on how the talks will unfold. EU officials say the divorce terms must be settled before negotiators can turn to the U.K.’s future relationship with the bloc, while Britain wants the two things discussed simultaneously.

The U.K. has raised the prospect it could walk away without a deal if talks falter, though May said in her letter that both sides should “work hard to avoid that outcome.”

Brexit has profound implications for Britain’s economy, society and even unity. The divisive decision to leave the EU has given new impetus to the drive for Scottish independence, and undermined the foundations of Northern Ireland’s peace settlement.

It’s also a major blow to the EU, after decades of expansion, to lose one of its largest members. Anti-EU populists including French far-right leader Marine Le Pen hope the impulses that drove Britain to turn its back on the EU will be repeated across the continent.

Many Britons who voted to leave were seeking to regain control of migration. That is what worries some on the other side, because many British businesses rely on European workers.

Piotr Wierzbicki, a Polish engineer flying to London from Warsaw airport, said the British “shot themselves in the foot” by voting to leave the EU, and predicted it would be harder for Europeans to travel to and from the U.K.

“It will be bad for their economy and it will be bad for the EU,” he said.

Associated Press journalists Danica Kirka, Siobhan Starrs and Jonathan Shenfield in London, Raf Casert and Lorne Cook in Brussels, Geir Moulson in Berlin, Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen and Monika Scislowska in Warsaw contributed to this story.</s>LONDON (AP) — 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.

“Today the government acts on the democratic will of the British people,” Prime Minister Theresa May told lawmakers in the House of Commons, adding, “This is an historic moment from which there can be no turning back.”

There is “no reason to pretend this is a happy day,” Tusk told reporters, emphasizing that the priority now is to minimize costs for EU citizens and member states.

To Britain, he said: “We already miss you.”

But for Britons who voted 52 to 48 percent to leave the bloc in a referendum nine months ago, it was a time for celebration.

“I voted for Brexit and today is the day that vote starts to count,” said Charles Goodacre, a former taxi driver, in the northern England city of Sunderland. “Things have been bad round here for a while and we needed a change.”

Former U.K. Independence Party leader Nigel Farage, who campaigned for years to take Brexit from fringe cause to reality, said Britain had passed “the point of no return.”

“I can still, to be honest with you, scarcely believe today has come,” he said.

Others worried Britain was taking a leap in the dark.

“No one knows. No one knows how this is going to go,” said Nicola Gibson, who works in London’s financial district. “It’s a gamble, it’s a risk. It’s a bit like Trump. It’s such an uncertain place at the moment.”

Those who campaigned for Britain to stay in the EU say they will now fight for a divorce settlement that preserves what they see as key benefits of EU membership, including free trade in goods and services and the right to live and work anywhere in the bloc.

May’s six-page letter to Tusk was polite and conciliatory, stressing that Britons want to remain “committed partners and allies to our friends across the continent.”

She said the two sides should “engage with one another constructively and respectfully, in a spirit of sincere cooperation.”

But there was a hint of steel in May’s assertion that without a good deal, “our cooperation in the fight against crime and terrorism would be weakened.” That could be seen by some in Europe as a threat to withdraw British security cooperation if the U.K. does not get its way.

The loss of a major member is destabilizing for the EU, which is battling to contain a tide of nationalist and populist sentiment and faces unprecedented antipathy from the new resident of the White House.

It is even more tumultuous for Britain. For all the U.K. government’s confident talk of forging a close and friendly new relationship with its neighbors, it cannot be sure whether businesses will freely be able to trade, students to study abroad or pensioners to retire with ease in other EU states. Those things have become part of life since the U.K. joined what was then called the European Economic Community in 1973.

The trigger for all the economic and constitutional uncertainty is Article 50, a previously obscure clause of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty that allows a member state to withdraw.

The two sides now have until March 2019 to agree on a divorce settlement and — if possible — establish a new relationship between Britain, the world’s fifth-largest economy, and the EU, a vast single market taking in half a billion people.

Tusk said he will respond by Friday with draft negotiating guidelines for the remaining 27 member states to consider. They’ll meet April 29 to finalize their platform.

Talks between the EU’s chief negotiator, French diplomat Michel Barnier, and his British counterpart, Brexit Secretary David Davis, are likely to start in the second half of May.

As in many divorces, the first area of conflict is likely to be money. The EU wants Britain to pay a hefty bill — Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the EU’s executive Commission, put it at around 50 billion euros ($63 billion) — to cover pension liabilities for EU staff and other commitments the U.K. has agreed to.

Britain acknowledges it will have to pay something, but is sure to quibble over the size of the tab.

Negotiations will also soon hit a major contraction: Britain wants “frictionless” free trade, but says it will restore control of immigration, ending the right of EU citizens to live and work in Britain. The EU says Britain can’t have full access to the single market if it doesn’t accept free movement, one of the bloc’s key principles.

Both Britain and the EU say a top priority will be guaranteeing the rights of 3 million EU citizens living in Britain, and 1 million Britons living elsewhere in the bloc.

The two sides also appear to disagree on how the talks will unfold. EU officials say the divorce terms must be settled before negotiators can turn to the U.K.’s future relationship with the bloc, while Britain wants the two things discussed simultaneously.

The U.K. has raised the prospect it could walk away without a deal if talks falter, though May said in her letter that both sides should “work hard to avoid that outcome.”

Brexit has profound implications for Britain’s economy, society and even unity. The divisive decision to leave the EU has given new impetus to the drive for Scottish independence, and undermined the foundations of Northern Ireland’s peace settlement.

It’s also a major blow to the EU, after decades of expansion, to lose one of its largest members. Anti-EU populists including French far-right leader Marine Le Pen hope the impulses that drove Britain to turn its back on the EU will be repeated across the continent.

Many Britons who voted to leave were seeking to regain control of migration. That is what worries some on the other side, because many British businesses rely on European workers.

Piotr Wierzbicki, a Polish engineer flying to London from Warsaw airport, said the British “shot themselves in the foot” by voting to leave the EU, and predicted it would be harder for Europeans to travel to and from the U.K.

“It will be bad for their economy and it will be bad for the EU,” he said.</s>LONDON (AP) — The Latest on Brexit (all times local):

The foreign minister of Luxembourg says a fair solution following Brexit is in the interest of both the European Union and Britain.

Jean Asselborn said in Serbia’s capital that “we cannot punish a country that wants to leave the European Union.” But, he added that “when (British Prime Minister) Theresa May says no deal is better than a bad deal I think that’s for both sides, not only for one side.”

Asselborn explained that “with Brexit the European Union will lose a little bit of money, that’s clear, because the contribution of the U.K. was substantial.”

He also warned that “if you are a member of the European Union, you are member of the European Union until the last moment, and you have to fulfill your engagements.”

Estonia’s prime minister says that “we cannot allow ourselves to be paralyzed by Brexit” and “we must decisively move on together.”

Juri Ratas says that “we accept this notice with regret in our hearts,” adding the priority “is to reduce the insecurity of the people and companies that could be influenced by the United Kingdom’s withdrawal.”

In a separate statement, the Estonian government said that triggering Article 50 ended “uncertainty on the U.K.’s intentions on leaving the EU and the exit’s timeframe.”

French centrist presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron says his priority after Britain’s formal request to leave the European Union would be to protect the bloc and European interests.

Speaking after meeting with London Mayor Sadiq Khan, Macron says that he also believes Britain and the EU will need to remain close, notably in defense, even if they have to rebuild their relationship. He also noted that Khan is mayor to 200,000 French citizens living in London and said he would work to determine how Brexit will affect them.

Macron said in English that in “some of them will decide to come back, I will be very happy to host them again, but, obviously, we will work together with the U.K. and we will work together with London because they live there.”

A senior European diplomat says the European Union won’t seek to punish Britain for leaving the bloc.

There has been speculation in the British press since last year’s referendum on the so-called Brexit that the other 27 EU members could try to extract maximum suffering from the UK in order to discourage others from leaving.

The diplomat, who wasn’t authorized to be quoted by name, dismissed such views Wednesday, noting that Britain will have to grapple with the fallout from its departure from the EU’s single market.

“Leaving the common market will hurt a lot all on its own,” he said.

European Union leaders say they will remain united and strive to protect the bloc’s interest following Britain’s decision to leave.

In a statement Wednesday the leaders said “the Union will act as one and preserve its interests. Our first priority will be to minimize the uncertainty caused by the decision of the United Kingdom for our citizens, businesses and member states.”

They said they would “start by focusing on all key arrangements for an orderly withdrawal.”

The leaders will meet in Brussels in one month, on April 29.

European Union Council President Donald Tusk says he will have a proposal for a negotiating mandate ready for the member states by Friday, only two days after Britain triggered the negotiating mandate for divorce proceedings.

Tusk said that he would “share guidelines for negotiations” with the 27 member states when he is in Valletta, Malta, on Friday.

Once those are delivered, the 27 member states will have to come up with definitive guidelines at a summit on April 29 in Brussels.

Later, those guidelines will have to be poured into strict legal text and real negotiations could be expected to start in the second half of May.

Germany’s foreign minister says that the phrase “Let’s stay friends” should be a motto for the divorce proceedings between Britain and the European Union.

But Sigmar Gabriel also made clear Wednesday that the EU negotiating team will have Berlin’s full support in asserting “our common interests.”

Gabriel said in a statement that “hard feelings may be understandable.” He added that “for many, it is perhaps still hard to understand today how one can expect to be better off alone between worlds, particularly in these turbulent times,” but that sentiment can’t be the basis for future relations.

He added that “we need each other. We should do everything to nurture good and friendly relations with London in the future.”

The European Union’s top official says that “we already miss you,” moments after he received the official letter from British Prime Minister Theresa May triggering Brexit talks.

But European Council President Donald Tusk says that the withdrawal also “has made us, the community of 27, more determined and more united than before” to make “the difficult negotiations ahead” a success.

Tusk said that “there is nothing to win in this process.” He added that: “our goal is clear: to minimize the cost for the EU citizens, businesses and member states. “

He said “we have all the tools to achieve this.”

British Prime Minister Theresa May offered a polite and conciliatory statement in the letter to the European Union triggering Brexit talks.

May said in the letter that “we should engage with one another constructively and respectfully, in a spirit of sincere cooperation.”

May says 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.”

The British leader offered a wish that Europe remain “strong and prosperous,” and capable of defending itself from security threats.

Denmark’s prime minister says Britain’s “goodbye” to the European Union is “incredibly sad,” adding he expects “many bumps on the road.”

Lars Loekke Rasmussen said in a statement that he hopes “the divorce” will take place in “an orderly fashion.”

He said that Britain’s decision to leave the EU and the inner Market “will have consequences.”

The Danish government leader said “rights and responsibilities go hand in hand in the European Union. You cannot have one without the other.”

The head of the European Parliament’s biggest political bloc says Britain’s decision to leave the European Union is a mistake that will damage the U.K. and the EU.

European People’s Party chairman Manfred Weber said Wednesday that “history will show that Brexit is a tremendous mistake. It will create a lot of damage for both sides.”

But he said the parliament will respect the choice of British voters to leave and that “the negotiations should follow two steps: first we need to agree on the divorce settlement, then we will talk about the new relationship.”

Britain’s prime minister is offering a broad outline of her plans for the process of leaving the European Union, saying she hopes for a deal for Brexit in two years.

Theresa May says that while she aims for a deal in two years, she aims for a “phased process” of implementation.

The British leader offered her plans after a letter triggering Article 50 of the European Union treaty was handed to the EU’s top official, Donald Tusk.

Britain’s prime minister says that the U.K. has triggered the process of leaving the European Union.

Theresa May told the House of Commons that Britain has triggered the “EU divorce process” that “acts on the democratic will of the British people.”

She made the comments after a letter triggering Article 50 of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty was handed to the EU’s top official, Donald Tusk.

The European Union’s top official says he has received the letter from Britain, formally triggering two years of Brexit talks.

European Council President Donald Tusk tweeted that “after nine months the UK has delivered,” referring to the time since the outcome of Britain’s June 23 referendum to leave the EU.

He later posted a photo of him receiving the letter from Britain’s EU envoy Tim Barrow.

The photo shows Tusk accepting the letter, which was signed by British Prime Minister Theresa May, with two hands at the European Council’s headquarters.

British Prime Minister Theresa May is speaking to the House of Commons as anticipation builds before a key decision on leaving the European Union.

May says that the moment is upon us when the country is set to start the process of leaving the European Union. The decision follows a June 23 referendum.

May says that “today we do give effect to the democratic decision of the people of the United Kingdom who voted for us to leave the European Union.”

Spain’s Foreign Ministry has opened a special desk at its embassy in London to resolve doubts concerning the effects of Brexit on Spaniards living in Britain and Northern Ireland.

A ministry statement Wednesday said the desk will provide information on issues such as residence permits, health care, pensions, education and grants.

There are some 132,000 Spaniards registered as living in Britain and Northern Ireland, and 2 million visited in 2015.

British authorities say 11,000 Spanish students are studying in universities there.

Tens of thousands more Spaniards are understood to live in Britain there but are not registered.

The office’s opening was timed to coincide with Britain’s formal notification, expected soon, that it was beginning its exit from the European Union.

Germany’s Foreign Ministry says Britain will remain a “close partner and friend” despite the decision to leave the European Union, but that “being a close friend is not the same as being part of the family.”

The ministry said Wednesday that EU negotiations with Britain will initially be about exiting the bloc, and then, “on this basis the new relationship between Britain and the EU can be discussed.”

The ministry said that it was “daring” for Britain to decide to leave amid “uncertainty and restlessness” in the world.

It says the primary objective of negotiations with Britain will to be to minimize uncertainties for citizens, the economy and the EU.

Croatia’s prime minister says that his country will be the least affected by the British exit from the European Union because it was the last to join in 2013.

Andrej Plenkovic says that “both our analysis and the analysis by the European Commission have confirmed that.”

The Hina news agency also quoted Plenkovic as saying that Brexit was a “big, huge mistake” whose negative consequences will be felt primarily in Britain.

He added that “no one can tell at this moment” when negotiations between the EU and Britain will end, and what kind of an agreement they will produce.

Plenkovic said that “it’s a scenario unseen so far.” He also said the EU should remain “inclusive” to not discourage future candidates striving to join the bloc.

The European Union presidency says it is “imperative” that Britain must be left with a worse option than membership once Brexit negotiations are over.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat of Malta, which holds the EU presidency, said that negotiations must be transparent and honest.

He said: “Negotiations should be fair for both sides, but it is imperative that EU membership emerges as the superior option. EU will not be 27 different opinions on Brexit but one common vision.”

Muscat spoke as he met with the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, in Valletta, Malta.

Barnier said: “Today is the first day in a very long and difficult road. The EU will look to establish a fair agreement for the long term future of union members.”

A powerful European Union commissioner says that the British letter to trigger two years of Brexit proceedings “is a negative message for Europe as a whole, for the U.K. especially.”

Guenther Oettinger, a German who is EU commissioner for budget and human resources, said he expected “many difficult negotiations in the next weeks and months.”

A letter signed by British Prime Minister Theresa May that formally triggers Brexit will be handed over to European Council President Donald Tusk in less than an hour.

The British pound is facing some selling pressure before the formal triggering of the country’s two-year process to leave the European Union.

With just hours to go before the start of the Brexit process, the pound was 0.4 percent lower at $1.2398. Since the country voted to leave the EU in a referendum last June, the currency has suffered a steep decline, losing around 20 percent of its value as traders fret over the potential economic impact of the decision to leave the world’s largest trading bloc.

Craig Erlam, senior market analyst at OANDA, thinks the pound is “likely to remain quite volatile” throughout Wednesday’s trading session. However, he says that following some weakness in the run-up to the triggering of the Article 50 process that “it is worth being prepared for a possible case of traders selling the news and buying the fact today.”

The EU official who will receive the letter from Britain that formally triggers Brexit says the handover will take place at 1:20 p.m. Brussels time (1120 GMT; 7:20 a.m. EDT)

European Council President Donald Tusk tweeted: “At 13.20 today, UK #Brexit notification letter (article 50) will be handed to me by Ambassador Tim Barrow.”

The original timing was given as around 1130 GMT (7:30 a.m. EDT). A reason for the slight change in timing hasn’t been given.

Barrow, who is Britain’s EU envoy, is taking part in a routine meeting of ambassadors on Wednesday morning. He will take a break from the meeting and hand-deliver the letter signed by Prime Minister Theresa May that will formally trigger Brexit.

Britain’s European Union envoy has arrived at his office in Brussels for a meeting, hours ahead of triggering Brexit.

Tim Barrow is taking part in a routine meeting of ambassadors on Wednesday morning.

Barrow will later take a break from the meeting and hand-deliver a letter signed by Prime Minister Theresa May at around 1130 GMT (7:30 a.m. EDT) to EU Council President Donald Tusk. The letter will formally trigger Brexit.

Britain is set to formally file for divorce from the European Union, ending a 44-year relationship following the decision made by U.K. voters in a referendum nine months ago.

Prime Minister Theresa May is due to announce in the House of Commons Wednesday afternoon that she has invoked Article 50 of the EU’s key treaty, triggering a two-year countdown to Britain’s exit.

At the same time, Britain’s EU envoy, Tim Barrow, will hand-deliver a letter from May to EU Council President Donald Tusk.

May’s office says she will tell lawmakers that the U.K. is embarking on a “momentous journey” and should unite to forge a “global Britain.”

Britain and the EU have two years to unpick a tapestry of rules, regulations and agreements stitched over more than four decades.</s>Yesterday I formally wrote to Donald Tusk to give effect to the democratic decision of the people of the United Kingdom who voted decisively to leave the European Union.

At this moment of profound significance for the United Kingdom, I want to assure you that this decision was no rejection of the values we share with our European friends, least of all the Republic of Ireland.

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.

We are leaving the European Union, but we are not leaving Europe – and we want to remain committed partners and allies of Ireland and all our friends across the continent.

The United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland have a unique relationship founded on our distinctive geography, history and trade – and above all the deep family ties and bonds of affection that unite us.

I understand the special significance of this relationship and I am personally committed to strengthening it, not weakening it, as the UK leaves the EU.

That is why in my letter to Donald Tusk I have made clear that one of the key principles for the negotiation ahead is that we must pay close attention to the UK’s unique relationship with the Republic of Ireland and the importance of the peace process in Northern Ireland.

I know that for the people of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, the ability to move freely across the Border is an essential part of daily life.

So my letter makes clear that 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.

My letter also sets out the important responsibility that we have to make sure that nothing is done to jeopardise the peace process in Northern Ireland, and to continue to uphold the Belfast Agreement.

As Europe’s closest friend and neighbour, the UK hopes to enjoy a deep and special partnership with the whole of the European Union once we leave. This deep and special partnership should take in both economic and security co-operation, for this is in the interests of the United Kingdom, Ireland, the European Union and the wider world.

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 – and we want the United Kingdom, through this new deep and special partnership with a strong European Union, to play its full part in achieving these goals.

So we approach these talks constructively, respectfully, and in a spirit of sincere co-operation. We have listened carefully to what our European counterparts have said and we respect their position. That is why, for example, the United Kingdom does not seek membership of the single market.

European leaders have been clear that membership of the single market entails accepting the “four freedoms”. We understand that these are indivisible and there can be no “cherry picking”.

For that reason, we do not seek membership of the single market but the closest possible access to it through a new bold and ambitious free trade agreement.

Similarly, we understand that there will be consequences for the UK of leaving the EU: we know we will lose influence over the rules that affect the European economy. We also know that UK companies that trade with the EU will 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. We accept that.

But there should be no reason why we cannot agree a new deep and special partnership between the UK and the EU that works for us all.

Trade between our countries is worth over £43 billion a year and supports 400,000 jobs. There are also complex supply chains that benefit both our countries.

So it is in all our interests for the partnership between the UK and the EU to allow maximum freedom for British companies to trade with, and operate within, European markets, and the same for Irish companies in the UK. It would be to the detriment of us all if unnecessary barriers to trade were erected.

I am also determined that we must continue to forge the closest possible security co-operation to keep our people safe. In an increasingly unstable world, that collaboration is more, not less, important for us all. We face the same global threats from terrorism and extremism and that message was only reinforced by the abhorrent terrorist attack in London last week, in which an Irish national was also injured.

I want the UK’s new relationship with the EU to ensure that – whether it comes to exchanging the information our security services need, or working together to protect Europe’s borders – we have the closest possible relationship.

This new partnership is of such importance to both the UK and the EU that we are sure it can be agreed within the timeframe for the negotiations and in a way that strengthens the liberal, democratic values of Europe that we all share – and that the world needs now more than ever.

So we will continue to play our part in ensuring that Europe remains strong and prosperous and able to lead in the world, projecting its values and defending itself from security threats.

The new deep and special partnership we seek will allow us to do so, contributing to the prosperity, security and global power of our continent to the benefit of the UK, Ireland, Europe and the whole world.

Theresa May is prime minister of the United Kingdom</s>LONDON (Sputnik) 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.

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

On June 23, 2016, the United Kingdom held a referendum to determine whether or not the country should leave the European Union. The majority of Britons supported the decision to leave the 28-nation bloc.</s>Below is the letter British Prime Minister Theresa May sent to the president of the European Council, Donald Tusk, declaring the U.K.'s intention to leave the EU.

The letter, which was handwritten, triggers Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, starting a formal two-year negotiation period in which the U.K. will seek to form a new relationship with the economic bloc.

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 on European 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>LONDON — 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.

“Today the government acts on the democratic will of the British people,” Prime Minister Theresa May told lawmakers in the House of Commons, adding, “This is an historic moment from which there can be no turning back.”

There is “no reason to pretend this is a happy day,” Tusk told reporters, emphasizing that the priority now is to minimize costs for EU citizens and member states.

To Britain, he said: “We already miss you.”

For Britons who voted 52 to 48 percent to leave the bloc in a referendum nine months ago, it was a time for celebration.

“I voted for Brexit and today is the day that vote starts to count,” said Charles Goodacre, a former taxi driver, in the northern England city of Sunderland. “Things have been bad round here for a while and we needed a change.”

Former U.K. Independence Party leader Nigel Farage, who campaigned for years to take Brexit from fringe cause to reality, said Britain had passed “the point of no return.”

“I can still, to be honest with you, scarcely believe today has come,” he said.

Others worried Britain was taking a leap in the dark.

“No one knows. No one knows how this is going to go,” said Nicola Gibson, who works in London’s financial district. “It’s a gamble, it’s a risk. It’s a bit like Trump. It’s such an uncertain place at the moment.”

Those who campaigned for Britain to stay in the EU say they will now fight for a divorce settlement that preserves what they see as key benefits of EU membership, including free trade in goods and services and the right to live and work anywhere in the bloc.

May’s six-page letter to Tusk was polite and conciliatory, stressing that Britons want to remain “committed partners and allies to our friends across the continent.”

She said the two sides should “engage with one another constructively and respectfully, in a spirit of sincere cooperation.”

But there was a hint of steel in May’s assertion that without a good deal, “our cooperation in the fight against crime and terrorism would be weakened.” That could be seen by some in Europe as a threat to withdraw British security cooperation if the U.K. does not get its way.

The loss of a major member is destabilizing for the EU, which is battling to contain a tide of nationalist and populist sentiment and faces unprecedented antipathy from the new resident of the White House.

Speaking in Berlin. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Germany and other EU states “certainly did not wish for this day, because we are losing a strong and important member state.”

But, she added: “The European Union is a historically unique success story. It remains one even after Britain’s withdrawal. We will take care of that.”

The split is even more tumultuous for Britain. For all the U.K. government’s confident talk of forging a close and friendly new relationship with its neighbors, it cannot be sure whether businesses will freely be able to trade, students to study abroad or pensioners to retire with ease in other EU states. Those things have become part of life since the U.K. joined what was then called the European Economic Community in 1973.

The trigger for all the economic and constitutional uncertainty is Article 50, a previously obscure clause of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty that allows a member state to withdraw.

The two sides now have until March 2019 to agree on a divorce settlement and — if possible — establish a new relationship between Britain, the world’s fifth-largest economy, and the EU, a vast single market taking in half a billion people.

Tusk said he will respond by Friday with draft negotiating guidelines for the remaining 27 member states to consider. They’ll meet April 29 to finalize their platform.

Talks between the EU’s chief negotiator, French diplomat Michel Barnier, and his British counterpart, Brexit Secretary David Davis, are likely to start in the second half of May.

As in many divorces, the first area of conflict is likely to be money. The EU wants Britain to pay a hefty bill — Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the EU’s executive Commission, put it at around 50 billion euros ($63 billion) — to cover pension liabilities for EU staff and other commitments the U.K. has agreed to.

Britain acknowledges it will have to pay something, but is sure to quibble over the size of the tab.

Negotiations will also soon hit a major contraction: Britain wants “frictionless” free trade, but says it will restore control of immigration, ending the right of EU citizens to live and work in Britain. The EU says Britain can’t have full access to the single market if it doesn’t accept free movement, one of the bloc’s key principles.

Both Britain and the EU say a top priority will be guaranteeing the rights of 3 million EU citizens living in Britain, and 1 million Britons living elsewhere in the bloc.

The two sides also appear to disagree on how the talks will unfold. EU officials say the divorce terms must be settled before negotiators can turn to the U.K.’s future relationship with the bloc, while Britain wants the two things discussed simultaneously.

The U.K. has raised the prospect it could walk away without a deal if talks falter, though May said in her letter that both sides should “work hard to avoid that outcome.”

Brexit has profound implications for Britain’s economy, society and even unity. The divisive decision to leave the EU has given new impetus to the drive for Scottish independence, and undermined the foundations of Northern Ireland’s peace settlement.

It’s also a major blow to the EU, after decades of expansion, to lose one of its largest members. Anti-EU populists including French far-right leader Marine Le Pen hope the impulses that drove Britain to turn its back on the EU will be repeated across the continent.

Many Britons who voted to leave were seeking to regain control of migration. That is what worries some on the other side, because many British businesses rely on European workers.

Piotr Wierzbicki, a Polish engineer flying to London from Warsaw airport, said the British “shot themselves in the foot” by voting to leave the EU, and predicted it would be harder for Europeans to travel to and from the U.K.

“It will be bad for their economy and it will be bad for the EU,” he said.

Associated Press journalists Danica Kirka, Siobhan Starrs and Jonathan Shenfield in London, Raf Casert and Lorne Cook in Brussels, Geir Moulson in Berlin, Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen and Monika Scislowska in Warsaw contributed to this story.</s>LONDON — 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.

“Today the government acts on the democratic will of the British people,” Prime Minister Theresa May told lawmakers in the House of Commons, adding, “This is an historic moment from which there can be no turning back.”

There is “no reason to pretend this is a happy day,” Tusk told reporters, emphasizing that the priority now is to minimize costs for EU citizens and member states.

To Britain, he said: “We already miss you.”

For Britons who voted 52 to 48 percent to leave the bloc in a referendum nine months ago, it was a time for celebration.

“I voted for Brexit and today is the day that vote starts to count,” said Charles Goodacre, a former taxi driver, in the northern England city of Sunderland. “Things have been bad round here for a while and we needed a change.”

Former U.K. Independence Party leader Nigel Farage, who campaigned for years to take Brexit from fringe cause to reality, said Britain had passed “the point of no return.”

“I can still, to be honest with you, scarcely believe today has come,” he said.

Others worried Britain was taking a leap in the dark.

“No one knows. No one knows how this is going to go,” said Nicola Gibson, who works in London’s financial district. “It’s a gamble, it’s a risk. It’s a bit like Trump. It’s such an uncertain place at the moment.”

Those who campaigned for Britain to stay in the EU say they will now fight for a divorce settlement that preserves what they see as key benefits of EU membership, including free trade in goods and services and the right to live and work anywhere in the bloc.

May’s six-page letter to Tusk was polite and conciliatory, stressing that Britons want to remain “committed partners and allies to our friends across the continent.”

She said the two sides should “engage with one another constructively and respectfully, in a spirit of sincere cooperation.”

But there was a hint of steel in May’s assertion that without a good deal, “our cooperation in the fight against crime and terrorism would be weakened.” That could be seen by some in Europe as a threat to withdraw British security cooperation if the U.K. does not get its way.

The loss of a major member is destabilizing for the EU, which is battling to contain a tide of nationalist and populist sentiment and faces unprecedented antipathy from the new resident of the White House.

Speaking in Berlin. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Germany and other EU states “certainly did not wish for this day, because we are losing a strong and important member state.”

But, she added: “The European Union is a historically unique success story. It remains one even after Britain’s withdrawal. We will take care of that.”

The split is even more tumultuous for Britain. For all the U.K. government’s confident talk of forging a close and friendly new relationship with its neighbors, it cannot be sure whether businesses will freely be able to trade, students to study abroad or pensioners to retire with ease in other EU states. Those things have become part of life since the U.K. joined what was then called the European Economic Community in 1973.

The trigger for all the economic and constitutional uncertainty is Article 50, a previously obscure clause of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty that allows a member state to withdraw.

The two sides now have until March 2019 to agree on a divorce settlement and — if possible — establish a new relationship between Britain, the world’s fifth-largest economy, and the EU, a vast single market taking in half a billion people.

Tusk said he will respond by Friday with draft negotiating guidelines for the remaining 27 member states to consider. They’ll meet April 29 to finalize their platform.

Talks between the EU’s chief negotiator, French diplomat Michel Barnier, and his British counterpart, Brexit Secretary David Davis, are likely to start in the second half of May.

As in many divorces, the first area of conflict is likely to be money. The EU wants Britain to pay a hefty bill — Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the EU’s executive Commission, put it at around 50 billion euros ($63 billion) — to cover pension liabilities for EU staff and other commitments the U.K. has agreed to.

Britain acknowledges it will have to pay something, but is sure to quibble over the size of the tab.

Negotiations will also soon hit a major contraction: Britain wants “frictionless” free trade, but says it will restore control of immigration, ending the right of EU citizens to live and work in Britain. The EU says Britain can’t have full access to the single market if it doesn’t accept free movement, one of the bloc’s key principles.

Both Britain and the EU say a top priority will be guaranteeing the rights of 3 million EU citizens living in Britain, and 1 million Britons living elsewhere in the bloc.

The two sides also appear to disagree on how the talks will unfold. EU officials say the divorce terms must be settled before negotiators can turn to the U.K.’s future relationship with the bloc, while Britain wants the two things discussed simultaneously.

The U.K. has raised the prospect it could walk away without a deal if talks falter, though May said in her letter that both sides should “work hard to avoid that outcome.”

Brexit has profound implications for Britain’s economy, society and even unity. The divisive decision to leave the EU has given new impetus to the drive for Scottish independence, and undermined the foundations of Northern Ireland’s peace settlement.

It’s also a major blow to the EU, after decades of expansion, to lose one of its largest members. Anti-EU populists including French far-right leader Marine Le Pen hope the impulses that drove Britain to turn its back on the EU will be repeated across the continent.

Many Britons who voted to leave were seeking to regain control of migration. That is what worries some on the other side, because many British businesses rely on European workers.

Piotr Wierzbicki, a Polish engineer flying to London from Warsaw airport, said the British “shot themselves in the foot” by voting to leave the EU, and predicted it would be harder for Europeans to travel to and from the U.K.

“It will be bad for their economy and it will be bad for the EU,” he said.

Associated Press journalists Danica Kirka, Siobhan Starrs and Jonathan Shenfield in London, Raf Casert and Lorne Cook in Brussels, Geir Moulson in Berlin, Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen and Monika Scislowska in Warsaw contributed to this story.</s>Theresa May is officially triggering the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, kicking off two years of frenzied negotiations with its 27 other members.

Nine months after voters opted for Brexit, the Prime Minister will invoke Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union, the legal mechanism for leaving.

It is the first time any country has done so - meaning some aspects of the process are unclear.

But it begins with a letter from Mrs May to Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, stating that she is formally pulling the trigger on Brexit.

That is followed by an announcement to Parliament, straight after Prime Minister’s Questions.

The UK government is then expected to issue a white paper on the Great Repeal Bill, the legislation that will transfer decades of EU legislation into domestic law.

In the coming weeks and months UK and EU negotiators, officials and politicians will then begin wrangling over the exact terms of Brexit - including over trade terms, immigration rules and how much the bill for leaving will be.

Brexit secretary David Davis has already declared that a £50bn ‘divorce’ bill demanded by the rest of the union will not be handed over, saying he did not expect to see ‘that sort of money change hands’.

Agreement on that exit fee, intended to cover any money still owed to the EU by the UK - including pensions liabilities - is expected to be one of the first topics addressed by negotiators.

Mr Davis also told the BBC that contingency plans were in place should the UK fail to reach agreement on trade with the EU, but insisted the government was seeking a ‘comprehensive’ deal with the remaining states.

However earlier this week the European Commission’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier claimed no trade deal was a ‘distinct possibility’ at the end of the two-year negotiating period. That would ‘undoubtedly’ leave the UK worse off, he claimed, warning of ‘severe’ transport disruption at ports and airports.

The UK will remain in the EU until an agreement is signed - or failing that, two years from today’s triggering of Article 50. Any extension to that would have to be agreed by all 27 other states.

It is the legal mechanism for a country to leave the EU. Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union states that to withdraw from the EU, a member state has to notify the European Council of its intention.

After that, the EU "shall negotiate and conclude an agreement with that State, setting out the arrangements for its withdrawal, taking account of the framework for its future relationship with the Union".

Here is the text of Article 50:

1. Any Member State may decide to withdraw from the Union in accordance with its own constitutional requirements.

2. A Member State which decides to withdraw shall notify the European Council of its intention.

In the light of the guidelines provided by the European Council, the Union shall negotiate and conclude an agreement with that State, setting out the arrangements for its withdrawal, taking account of the framework for its future relationship with the Union.

That agreement shall be negotiated in accordance with Article 218(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

It shall be concluded on behalf of the Union by the Council, acting by a qualified majority, after obtaining the consent of the European Parliament.

3. The Treaties shall cease to apply to the State in question from the date of entry into force of the withdrawal agreement or, failing that, two years after the notification referred to in paragraph 2, unless the European Council, in agreement with the Member State concerned, unanimously decides to extend this period.

4. For the purposes of paragraphs 2 and 3, the member of the European Council or of the Council representing the withdrawing Member State shall not participate in the discussions of the European Council or Council or in decisions concerning it. A qualified majority shall be defined in accordance with Article 238(3)(b) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

5. If a State which has withdrawn from the Union asks to rejoin, its request shall be subject to the procedure referred to in Article 49.</s>Today, 44 years after Britain joined the European Union, Brexit has reached the point of no return.

Theresa May has written a letter to Donald Tusk ,President of the European Council, to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon treaty.

Just before lunch Britain’s ambassador to Brussels handed over the letter, signed by the Prime Minister , that kicks off the two-year divorce.

Sir Tim Barrow arrived this morning with the letter concealed safely in a diplomatic bag.

As he handed over the letter, Prime Minister Theresa May was outlining its contents in the House of Commons.

“This is an historic moment from which there can be no turning back,” she said.

She added: “In moments like these, great turning points in our national story, the choices we make define the character of our nation.”

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 on European 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.
British Prime Minister Theresa May signs a letter invoking Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union. Its notification to the European Council tomorrow will formally begin the UK's withdrawal from the European Union.