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| Press Send for Brexit: E.U. Seals U.K. Withdrawal by Email | Press Send for Brexit: E.U. Seals U.K. Withdrawal by Email |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| LONDON — The European Union gave its official approval of Brexit on Thursday, taking the last step in its internal procedures before Britain leaves the bloc on Friday. | |
| Following a sometimes emotional vote in the European Parliament on Wednesday, the countries remaining in the union gave a last seal of approval to the agreement on Britain’s withdrawal. | Following a sometimes emotional vote in the European Parliament on Wednesday, the countries remaining in the union gave a last seal of approval to the agreement on Britain’s withdrawal. |
| In the end, the way the decision became final was vintage Brussels: bureaucratic and undramatic. | In the end, the way the decision became final was vintage Brussels: bureaucratic and undramatic. |
| Diplomats from the European Union’s remaining 27 countries were given plain instructions over email just after 8 p.m. Wednesday, once the European Parliament had voted to enact Brexit: Answer these four questions with “yes,” “no,” or “abstain” and send them in an email to the European Council. | Diplomats from the European Union’s remaining 27 countries were given plain instructions over email just after 8 p.m. Wednesday, once the European Parliament had voted to enact Brexit: Answer these four questions with “yes,” “no,” or “abstain” and send them in an email to the European Council. |
| At 1 p.m. local time on Thursday, the answers came in, formally completing the withdrawal agreement. | At 1 p.m. local time on Thursday, the answers came in, formally completing the withdrawal agreement. |
| The process used — known in European Union parlance as “written procedure” — is reserved for technical decisions that can be handled by officials and don’t require top diplomats or heads of government to meet in person. | The process used — known in European Union parlance as “written procedure” — is reserved for technical decisions that can be handled by officials and don’t require top diplomats or heads of government to meet in person. |
| “The council has adopted, by written procedure, the decision on the conclusion of the withdrawal agreement on behalf of the E.U.,” the European Council, the branch of the European Union that brings together its member countries’ governments, said in a brief statement. | “The council has adopted, by written procedure, the decision on the conclusion of the withdrawal agreement on behalf of the E.U.,” the European Council, the branch of the European Union that brings together its member countries’ governments, said in a brief statement. |
| “The withdrawal agreement will enter into force upon the U.K.’s exit from the E.U., on 31 January 2020 at midnight C.E.T.,” it added. “From that time on, the U.K. will no longer be an E.U. member state and will be considered as a third country.” | “The withdrawal agreement will enter into force upon the U.K.’s exit from the E.U., on 31 January 2020 at midnight C.E.T.,” it added. “From that time on, the U.K. will no longer be an E.U. member state and will be considered as a third country.” |
| The questions the European diplomats were asked to answer before this historic, if underwhelming, moment, were simple and purely procedural. | The questions the European diplomats were asked to answer before this historic, if underwhelming, moment, were simple and purely procedural. |
| “Can the delegation, on behalf of their member state, indicate whether they adopt the council decision on the conclusion of the withdrawal agreement?” | “Can the delegation, on behalf of their member state, indicate whether they adopt the council decision on the conclusion of the withdrawal agreement?” |
| All member states answered “yes” to all the questions, a European Union official said, in a rare show of absolute harmony for the often cacophonous group. | |
| In Brussels, some of the next steps will be just as formal, before the negotiations on the future relationship between the European Union and Britain go into full swing. | In Brussels, some of the next steps will be just as formal, before the negotiations on the future relationship between the European Union and Britain go into full swing. |
| But first come the parties. Place Luxembourg, the square in front of the European Parliament, will be taken over by Brexit-related celebrations and commiserations Thursday night, and Brexit-themed events are filling up the weekend’s social calendar. | But first come the parties. Place Luxembourg, the square in front of the European Parliament, will be taken over by Brexit-related celebrations and commiserations Thursday night, and Brexit-themed events are filling up the weekend’s social calendar. |
| The city of Brussels said that it would light up Grand Place, the ornate square in the heart of the Belgian capital, Thursday afternoon, putting on a light show with colors of the British flag to honor the departing nation. | The city of Brussels said that it would light up Grand Place, the ornate square in the heart of the Belgian capital, Thursday afternoon, putting on a light show with colors of the British flag to honor the departing nation. |
| The Manneken Pis, a statuette of a boy urinating that is a Brussels landmark, has been dressed up for the occasion.British flags will be removed from European Union buildings, and the European Union flag will be lowered outside the British delegation’s offices, which will be also renamed from “United Kingdom Permanent Representation to the European Union” to “United Kingdom Embassy to the European Union.” | |