EU nations start assessing post-Brexit trade deal with UK as ambassadors get briefed

  • Date: 25-Dec-2020
  • Source: Euronews
  • Sector:Economy
  • Country:Middle East
  • Who else needs to know?

EU nations start assessing post-Brexit trade deal with UK as ambassadors get briefed

European Union ambassadors were convening on Christmas Day to start assessing the massive free-trade deal the bloc struck with Britain.“EU member states will now start reviewing the 1,246 pages of the EU-UK agreement and continue with this daunting exercise during the next few days,” tweeted EU German Presidency spokesman Sebastian Fischer as the meeting started. For the deal to enter into force, the 27 countries will need to unanimously back the agreement, a prerequisite for its legal approval.After the deal was announced on Thursday, EU nations already showed support for the outcome.'An important milestone'A moment of "historical importance", an "important milestone", a "major step forward" — European leaders welcomed on Thursday the newly-unveiled post-Brexit deal with the UK.But most have also reiterated warnings that despite the deal, changes to the current relationship will come into force on January 1.German Chancellor Angela Markel said she was "pleased" that an agreement had been reached, adding: "This is of historical importance."She explained in a statement that the German government would examine the text but had been kept up to date by the Commission."We will therefore be able to judge quickly whether Germany can support today's negotiation result. I am very confident that