Statements by EU’s Presidents and the High Representative

UK Referendum: Statements by EU’s Presidents and the High Representative/Vice President

Source: Delegation of the European Union to New Zealand

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Statement by High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini on the outcome of the referendum in the United Kingdom

"The British citizens have made their choice to leave our Union. However much we regret this decision, we respect it.

The challenges we are facing are too pressing for us to afford any institutional uncertainty. This is why we will move forward on the basis of our shared values and interests and why we will keep working for the security and the well-being of our citizens, for the inclusiveness and the resilience of our societies, and for a more just and more cooperative world.

The European Union is and will continue to be a strong actor, and a reliable partner to our friends all around the world. We will continue to act as a force for peace, a provider of security, and a staunch supporter of international cooperation and multilateralism.

Disengagement is not an option, but neither is business as usual. Our Union is the best way to respond to our citizens' needs and aspirations, and this requires a profound reflection on how to make it deliver effectively.

Tough times call for even greater leadership and resolve, and for even more unity. Unity of purpose is our strength and our citizens - and the entire world - need a strong European Union like never before. "

ENDS.

[EU Presidents’ statement follows]

Joint Statement by Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament, Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, Mark Rutte, Holder of the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU, and Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, on the outcome of the United Kingdom Referendum

President Schulz, President Tusk and Prime Minister Rutte met this morning in Brussels upon the invitation of European Commission President Juncker. They discussed the outcome of the United Kingdom referendum and made the following joint statement:

"In a free and democratic process, the British people have expressed their wish to leave the European Union. We regret this decision but respect it.

This is an unprecedented situation but we are united in our response. We will stand strong and uphold the EU's core values of promoting peace and the well-being of its peoples. The Union of 27 Member States will continue. The Union is the framework of our common political future. We are bound together by history, geography and common interests and will develop our cooperation on this basis. Together we will address our common challenges to generate growth, increase prosperity and ensure a safe and secure environment for our citizens. The institutions will play their full role in this endeavour.

We now expect the United Kingdom government to give effect to this decision of the British people as soon as possible, however painful that process may be. Any delay would unnecessarily prolong uncertainty. We have rules to deal with this in an orderly way. Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union sets out the procedure to be followed if a Member State decides to leave the European Union. We stand ready to launch negotiations swiftly with the United Kingdom regarding the terms and conditions of its withdrawal from the European Union. Until this process of negotiations is over, the United Kingdom remains a member of the European Union, with all the rights and obligations that derive from this. According to the Treaties which the United Kingdom has ratified, EU law continues to apply to the full to and in the United Kingdom until it is no longer a Member.

As agreed, the "New Settlement for the United Kingdom within the European Union", reached at the European Council on 18-19 February 2016, will now not take effect and ceases to exist. There will be no renegotiation.

As regards the United Kingdom, we hope to have it as a close partner of the European Union in the future. We expect the United Kingdom to formulate its proposals in this respect. Any agreement, which will be concluded with the United Kingdom as a third country, will have to reflect the interests of both sides and be balanced in terms of rights and obligations."

ENDS.

[A European Commission fact sheet with Q&A on the UK Referendum follows]

European Commission - Fact Sheet

UK Referendum on Membership of the European Union: Questions & Answers

Brussels, 24 June 2016

Now that the UK has voted to leave the European Union, what happens next?

The European Commission takes note of the outcome of the UK Referendum. Proceedings under Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union will have to be launched.

The terms of the UK Settlement agreed at the European Council of 18-19 February 2016 have ceased to exist.

During negotiations under Article 50, European Union Treaties and law continue to apply to the UK. If no agreement is reached within 2 years of the UK activating Article 50, the UK would leave the EU without any new agreement being in place.

What role will the Commission play in the Article 50 process?

The European Commission will play the role foreseen in the Treaty.

Following notification by the UK of its intention to leave, the European Council, meeting without the UK, would need to agree the guidelines for the negotiation by unanimity. The agreement would be negotiated following the rules on international agreements in Article 218(3) of the Treaty. This means that the Commission would submit recommendations to the Council, minus the UK, which would then adopt a decision authorising the opening of negotiations and nominating the Union negotiator or the head of the Union's negotiating team.

The negotiated agreement would need to be adopted by a qualified majority of 72% of the remaining 27 Member States, representing 65% of the population. The final agreement would also need to be approved by the European Parliament, voting by a simple majority.

What happens next?

The College of Commissioners will meet on 27 June to assess the situation and prepare the European Council of 28-29 June. The Commission stands ready to fulfil its role in the Article 50 negotiations.

ANNEX

Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union

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.

ENDS

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