European Union has approved a Brexit deal with Britain
The European Union has approved a Brexit deal with Britain — now Prime Minister Theresa May must sell the deal to her parliament.
European Council President Donald Tusk tweeted that 27 EU leaders meeting in Brussels “endorsed the Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration on the future EU-UK relations.”
The 27 leaders of the bloc met without Mrs May to endorse the agreement, which sets the stage for Britain exit from the bloc on March 29.
British Prime Minister Theresa May hailed the deal as the start of a new chapter for Britain, but European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said the U.K.’s departure was a tragedy.
“It’s a sad day,” Juncker said as he arrived.
He told reporters that deal was “the best possible,” but the summit “is neither a time of jubilation nor of celebration. It’s a sad moment, and it’s a tragedy.”
EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier said now that the first phase was done, Britain and the EU needed to work for “an ambitious and unprecedented partnership.”
