RT
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
The UK is free to unilaterally revoke a notification to depart from the EU, the European Court has ruled. The judicial body said this could be done without changing the terms of London’s membership in the bloc.
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) opined in a document issued on Monday that Britain can reverse Article 50, which stipulates the way a member state leaves the bloc. The potentially important ruling comes only one day before the House of Commons votes on Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal with the EU.
EU Court of Justice on Twitter: “#ECJ: UK is free to unilaterally revoke the notification of its intention to withdraw from the EU – Case C-621/18 Wightman #Brexit pic.twitter.com/KUOI2eQ48C / Twitter”
ECJ: UK is free to unilaterally revoke the notification of its intention to withdraw from the EU – Case C-621/18 Wightman #Brexit pic.twitter.com/KUOI2eQ48C
“When a Member State has notified the European Council of its intention to withdraw from the European Union, as the UK has done, that Member State is free to revoke unilaterally that notification,” the court’s decision reads.
By doing so, the respective state “reflects a sovereign decision to retain its status as a Member State of the European Union.”
That said, this possibility remains in place “as long as a withdrawal agreement concluded between the EU and that Member State has not entered into force.” Another condition is: “If no such agreement has been concluded, for as long as the two-year period from the date of the notification of the intention to withdraw from the EU.”
The case was opened when a cross-party group of British politicians asked the court whether an EU member such as the UK can decide on its own to revoke the withdrawal process. It included Labour MEPs Catherine Stihler and David Martin, Scottish MPs Joanna Cherry Alyn Smith, along with Green MSPs Andy Wightman and Ross Greer.
They argued that unilateral revocation is possible and believe it could provide an opening to an alternative to Brexit, namely holding another popular vote to allow the UK to remain in the EU.
“If the UK chooses to change their minds on Brexit, then revoking Article 50 is an option and the European side should make every effort to welcome the UK back with open arms,” Smith, the SNP member, was quoted by Reuters.
However, May’s environment minister, Michael Gove, a staunch Brexit supporter, denounced the ECJ ruling, insisting the cabinet will not reverse its decision to leave. “We will leave on March 29, [2019]” he said, referring to the date set out in the UK-EU Brexit deal.
In the wake of the landmark vote on the Brexit deal, a group of senior ministers threatened to step down en masse if May does not try to negotiate a better deal in Brussels, according to the Telegraph. The ministers demanded that an alternative deal does not leave the UK trapped within the EU customs union indefinitely.
On Sunday, Will Quince resigned as parliamentary private secretary in the Ministry of Defense, saying in a Telegraph editorial that “I do not want to be explaining to my constituents why Brexit is still not over and we are still obeying EU rules in the early 2020s or beyond.”
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Brexit can’t be revoked, it hasn’t been enacted, what they are talking about is revoking the referendum and I think that must prove if they do that the UK is not a democracy and the lie is exposed.
There must be a new bio-weapon in the air in the UK … seems to cause insanity.
So the vote was worthless.
OOOO! I spy fun on the horizon. I got parafin (and some derv). Anyone got the beer, the sugar and marshmallows!? Anarchy aside I dare the powers that be to push this condescention, even slightly, given how well and truly Hung, Drawn and Quartered May is about to be. This BS by the ECJ is at best a poor Divide and Conquer trick to get the Remainers and Brexiters at each other again (to think the Remainers are starting to back a brexit of sorts instead of a direct reversal) and at worst a blatant pissing on the open wound… Read more »
I love it! The “World Court” is trying to convince millions of British Citizens that surrendering their sovereignty, national security, economic future, customs, and history are some things that they would want to consider. Yellow Jackets in London, maybe? This is the land of Alfred the Great. It appears that the collectivist bureaucrats in Brussels haven’t caught on to that yet.
Why don’t you make a thorough analysis of the european union and then understand why british people want out of it – the commission is not even elected – the eu is a dictatorship – are you all blind