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Thursday 21 december 2017 WORLD NEWS
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EU says UK will have no say during short Brexit transition

By LORNE COOK Some officials could be
RAF CASERT granted a kind of observer
Associated Press status on standing commit-
BRUSSELS (AP) — Britain will tees and expert groups, but
have less than two years they wouldn’t have voting
to ease its way out of the rights.
European Union and must Indeed, far from freeing
obey all the bloc’s rules Britain from the EU at last —
while having no say in as British voters chose to do
its decision-making dur- in June 2016 — the transi-
ing that period, the EU’s tion period appears to bind
chief Brexit negotiator said the country just as tightly to
Wednesday. the continent while remov-
Britain officially leaves the ing the influence it would
EU at midnight on March have over European affairs.
29, 2019, but negotiator Barnier was unveiling
Michel Barnier said its Eu- his new mandate just a
ropean partners would ac- few days after EU lead-
cept a transition period to ers agreed last week that
help prepare for Brexit that enough progress had been
should only last until the made on divorce issues
end of 2020. — Britain’s financial settle-
The EU’s current seven- ment, the rights of citizens
year budget period winds hit by Brexit and the status
up on Dec. 31, 2020, mak- European Union chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier speaks during a media conference at EU of the Ireland-Northern Ire-
ing it financially simpler to headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2017. The European Union’s chief Brexit nego- land border — to expand
disentangle Britain’s debts tiator says that Britain should have less than two years as a transition period after it leaves the the negotiations for talks on
and benefits, but leav- European Union and that the U.K. would have to live by all the key EU principles. future relations, including
ing the transition period (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo) trade.
three months short of the til 2021. It must also apply negotiating guidelines for Britain’s stated reasons for He said future ties between
two-year window that Brit- common EU customs du- the second phase of Brexit leaving the EU is to be free the EU and Britain should
ish Prime Minister Theresa ties and perform all border talks. The talks will initially fo- of the jurisdiction of that focus on the economy —
May’s government was checks required under the cus on the transition period tribunal — the European drawing up but not finaliz-
seeking. bloc’s laws. and Britain will have a say Court of Justice. ing some kind of trade ar-
The U.K. — the first-ever “There will be no transition on its terms. As of March 30, Britain will rangement — aviation co-
country to leave the EU a la carte. On top of that, he said, “all lose its place at the Europe- operation because Britain
— would be allowed to All the rules and policies new rules adopted by the an Council, where ministers has left the EU’s common
negotiate new trade ar- of the EU must continue to EU during the transition will represent EU nations, and airspace arrangements,
rangements with other na- be applied,” Barnier told be applied to the United its lawmakers will no longer justice cooperation and bi-
tions during that time, but reporters in Brussels, as he Kingdom,” with the EU’s sit in the European Parlia- lateral cooperation on de-
it would not be allowed to unveiled the European highest court continuing ment. Its judges will lose fense, security and foreign
finalize any agreement un- Commission’s terms of his to have authority. One of their places at EU courts. policy.q
Polish president signs laws that led to EU sanction threat

By VANESSA GERA years has enacted several however, is considered un-
MONIKA SCISLOWSKA laws that critics say erode likely to happen because
Associated Press the separation of powers it requires unanimity of EU
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Po- between the executive countries, and Hungary’s
land’s president signed two and judicial branches and government has vowed to
laws Wednesday that com- could interfere with defen- block any such move. “We
plete a radical overhaul of dants receiving fair trials. are doing this for Poland,
the Polish justice system, The European Commission for Polish citizens,” so they
ignoring a warning from announced Wednesday can rely on a fully indepen-
the European Union that that it was invoking what dent judiciary in their na-
the legislation breached is known as Article 7 — es- tion, EU Commissioner Frans
fundamental democratic sentially putting Poland on Timmermans said in an-
principles and could lead notice that it is at risk of nouncing the decision. Tim-
to unprecedented sanc- contravening EU law — in mermans said the decision
tions against the member response. Though the step was taken with a “heavy
state. President Andrzej Du- was historic — no EU state heart” but had become
da’s approval of the laws Poland’s President Andrzej Duda tells a news conference he has has ever been censured unavoidable because Po-
decided to sign two laws that will put courts under more political
he had a hand in drafting control even though they are part of a review a concerned in this way — for now it is land’s authorities could not
was not unexpected, but European Union is conducting in Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday, largely symbolic and re- be persuaded to abandon
his announcement came Dec. 20, 2017. flects the escalating ten- laws that have been con-
just hours after the EU’s (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) sions between Poland’s demned not only by the EU
executive body triggered reflect a dramatic histori- has been held up as a populist government and its but also by the United Na-
proceedings over a series cal reversal for Poland, the model of democratic tran- EU partners. The final step in tions, the Organization for
of laws that give the Pol- birthplace of an anti-com- sition for more than a quar- the process would involve Security and Cooperation
ish government more con- munist movement in the ter century. The right-wing sanctions, including the loss in Europe and the Council
trol over the judiciary and 1980s that inspired people Law and Justice party that by Poland of its voting rights of Europe, the continent’s
courts. The developments across Eastern Europe and has ruled Poland for two in the Council. This step, top human rights body.q