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| Theresa May expects full EU role until Brexit | Theresa May expects full EU role until Brexit |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Britain expects to be part of EU decision-making until Brexit, Theresa May has told fellow EU leaders. | Britain expects to be part of EU decision-making until Brexit, Theresa May has told fellow EU leaders. |
| The prime minister said the UK should still be part of summits and negotiations when matters affecting all 28 member states were being discussed. | The prime minister said the UK should still be part of summits and negotiations when matters affecting all 28 member states were being discussed. |
| Sources have denied the issue was the subject of a row at a dinner at the EU summit - Mrs May's first as PM. | Sources have denied the issue was the subject of a row at a dinner at the EU summit - Mrs May's first as PM. |
| Both the French president and German chancellor warned if Mrs May pursued a "hard Brexit", talks would be hard too. | Both the French president and German chancellor warned if Mrs May pursued a "hard Brexit", talks would be hard too. |
| Arriving at the summit in Brussels on Thursday, Mrs May pledged to continue to "work closely" with the EU after Brexit. | Arriving at the summit in Brussels on Thursday, Mrs May pledged to continue to "work closely" with the EU after Brexit. |
| She stressed it was important to have a "united European stance" against "Russian aggression" that included "sickening" violence in Syria. | She stressed it was important to have a "united European stance" against "Russian aggression" that included "sickening" violence in Syria. |
| She told fellow leaders they "must be ready to take steps to change Russia's approach and the way it thinks about this if we are ever to bring an end to the violence in Syria", according to No 10 sources. | She told fellow leaders they "must be ready to take steps to change Russia's approach and the way it thinks about this if we are ever to bring an end to the violence in Syria", according to No 10 sources. |
| Over a dinner with fellow EU leaders that included pan-fried scallops, crown of lamb with roast fig and iced vanilla parfait, sources said Mrs May also raised the issue of continuing UK participation in meetings. | Over a dinner with fellow EU leaders that included pan-fried scallops, crown of lamb with roast fig and iced vanilla parfait, sources said Mrs May also raised the issue of continuing UK participation in meetings. |
| Sources said she was keen that the UK was still fully included in discussions that affected all members - particularly on security issues - but denied she was concerned about being "frozen out". | Sources said she was keen that the UK was still fully included in discussions that affected all members - particularly on security issues - but denied she was concerned about being "frozen out". |
| Analysis | Analysis |
| By Kevin Connolly, Europe correspondent | By Kevin Connolly, Europe correspondent |
| Troubled by the need to find a common approach to Russian ambitions in Syria, and distracted by a faltering trade deal with Canada, the EU's leaders didn't have Brexit at the top of this summit agenda. | Troubled by the need to find a common approach to Russian ambitions in Syria, and distracted by a faltering trade deal with Canada, the EU's leaders didn't have Brexit at the top of this summit agenda. |
| So long did proceedings over-run that it was reportedly 01:00 local time before Mrs May took the floor to offer a Brexit briefing. | So long did proceedings over-run that it was reportedly 01:00 local time before Mrs May took the floor to offer a Brexit briefing. |
| And brief it proved to be - EU sources said she spoke for around five minutes and there were no speeches in response from the other leaders. | And brief it proved to be - EU sources said she spoke for around five minutes and there were no speeches in response from the other leaders. |
| She used the summit though to make an important point - that just as Brexit means Brexit, so the UK remains IN the EU until the moment when it's officially out. | She used the summit though to make an important point - that just as Brexit means Brexit, so the UK remains IN the EU until the moment when it's officially out. |
| The British view is that that means the 27 countries that will remain shouldn't jump the gun in starting to make decisions that exclude the UK. That message has now been delivered. | The British view is that that means the 27 countries that will remain shouldn't jump the gun in starting to make decisions that exclude the UK. That message has now been delivered. |
| The prime minister has promised to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty - beginning two years of formal exit negotiations with the EU - by the end of March. | The prime minister has promised to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty - beginning two years of formal exit negotiations with the EU - by the end of March. |
| This means Brexit, backed in a UK-wide referendum in June, will take place by the summer of 2019. | This means Brexit, backed in a UK-wide referendum in June, will take place by the summer of 2019. |
| The Brussels summit is not focused on the UK's withdrawal, with the official agenda instead dominated by migration, trade and relations with Russia. | The Brussels summit is not focused on the UK's withdrawal, with the official agenda instead dominated by migration, trade and relations with Russia. |
| On arrival, Mrs May said: "The UK is leaving the EU, but we will continue to play a full role until we leave and we will be a strong and dependable partner after we have left." | On arrival, Mrs May said: "The UK is leaving the EU, but we will continue to play a full role until we leave and we will be a strong and dependable partner after we have left." |
| "It's in the interests of both the UK and the EU that we continue to work closely together, including at this summit." | "It's in the interests of both the UK and the EU that we continue to work closely together, including at this summit." |
| Several European leaders have questioned whether the UK can continue to have access to the European single market once it leaves the EU, particularly as this is likely to mean greater UK controls on immigration from within the EU. | Several European leaders have questioned whether the UK can continue to have access to the European single market once it leaves the EU, particularly as this is likely to mean greater UK controls on immigration from within the EU. |
| European Council President Donald Tusk has insisted no formal talks between the UK and the EU can start until Article 50 is invoked. | European Council President Donald Tusk has insisted no formal talks between the UK and the EU can start until Article 50 is invoked. |
| But he offered Mrs May some words of encouragement, saying: "Some media described her first meeting in the European Council as entering the lion's den. It's not true. It's more like a nest of doves. | But he offered Mrs May some words of encouragement, saying: "Some media described her first meeting in the European Council as entering the lion's den. It's not true. It's more like a nest of doves. |
| "You can be sure she will be absolutely safe with us." | "You can be sure she will be absolutely safe with us." |
| 'Tough road ahead' | 'Tough road ahead' |
| But French President Francois Hollande said: "I say very firmly, (if) Mrs May wants a hard Brexit, the negotiations will be hard." | But French President Francois Hollande said: "I say very firmly, (if) Mrs May wants a hard Brexit, the negotiations will be hard." |
| And German Chancellor Angela Merkel echoed that view, saying: "In practice, that will be a tough road." | And German Chancellor Angela Merkel echoed that view, saying: "In practice, that will be a tough road." |
| Joseph Muscat, prime minister of Malta - which will take over the next presidency of the EU - told the BBC he hoped to hear Mrs May's "list of priorities" for Brexit, but did not expect any "negotiations" during the summit. | Joseph Muscat, prime minister of Malta - which will take over the next presidency of the EU - told the BBC he hoped to hear Mrs May's "list of priorities" for Brexit, but did not expect any "negotiations" during the summit. |
| "We wouldn't expect to hear a specific plan with all the intricacies. | "We wouldn't expect to hear a specific plan with all the intricacies. |
| "I would expect a list of priorities; what the priority is - whether it is membership of the single market, whether it is immigration and the realisation that the two are mutually exclusive. | "I would expect a list of priorities; what the priority is - whether it is membership of the single market, whether it is immigration and the realisation that the two are mutually exclusive. |
| "You can not have the cake and eat it, basically. " | "You can not have the cake and eat it, basically. " |
| German MEP Manfred Weber told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "It's not really normal that such a member who wants to leave a club like the EU also wants to decide the future of this club. That's really creating a lot of anger; the behaviour of the British government." | |
| The UK government is facing fierce criticism from opposition parties - and a landmark legal challenge - over its refusal to offer MPs a vote on its Brexit strategy before triggering Article 50. | The UK government is facing fierce criticism from opposition parties - and a landmark legal challenge - over its refusal to offer MPs a vote on its Brexit strategy before triggering Article 50. |
| Ministers say they welcome scrutiny but do not want MPs and peers to micro-manage the process or compromise the government's negotiating hand. | Ministers say they welcome scrutiny but do not want MPs and peers to micro-manage the process or compromise the government's negotiating hand. |