Government ministers from the European Union on Monday agreed to a transition period lasting from March 2019 to December 31, 2020 that will phase out Great Britain from the bloc once it officially leaves next year.

Although the ministers agreed to allow Britain access to the EU's single market during that time, the UK will have no decision-making power.

Read more: Angela Merkel has 'absolutely no doubts' about securing Brexit deal

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What is the EU's Brexit transition stance

The negotiating directives, set out the bloc's requirements for the transition period, including:

Free immigration from the EU must continue during the transition.

All EU laws — including those passed after the UK's exit in 2019 — should continue to apply to Britain during the transition. Certain exceptions can be made in the areas of security and justice laws.

Britain will not have a role in the EU decision-making process once it leaves.

Any disputes over laws would continue to be handled by the European Court of Justice (ECJ).

The transition will be used to strike a deal on the UK's future trade relationships — but the UK cannot formally sign-off on any new trade deals before the transition period expires.

Read more: UK Brexit negotiator wants trade deals during transition period

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe June 2016: 'The will of the British people' After a shrill referendum campaign, nearly 52% of British voters opted to leave the EU on June 23. Polls had shown a close race before the vote with a slight lead for those favoring remaining in the EU. Conservative British Prime Minister David Cameron, who had campaigned for Britain to stay, acknowledged the "will of the British people" and resigned the following morning.

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe July 2016: 'Brexit means Brexit' Former Home Secretary Theresa May replaced David Cameron as prime minister on July 11 and promised the country that "Brexit means Brexit." May had quietly supported the Remain campaign before the referendum. She did not initially say when her government would trigger Article 50 of the EU treaty to start the two-year talks leading to Britain's formal exit.

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe March 2017: 'We already miss you' May eventually signed a diplomatic letter over six months later on March 29, 2017 to trigger Article 50. Hours later, Britain's ambassador to the EU, Tim Barrow, handed the note to European Council President Donald Tusk. Britain's exit was officially set for March 29, 2019. Tusk ended his brief statement on the decision with: "We already miss you. Thank you and goodbye."

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe June 2017: And they're off! British Brexit Secretary David Davis and the EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, kicked off talks in Brussels on June 19. The first round ended with Britain reluctantly agreeing to follow the EU's timeline for the rest of the negotiations. The timeline split talks into two phases. The first would settle the terms of Britain's exit, and the second the terms of the EU-UK relationship post-Brexit.

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe July-October 2017: Money, rights and Ireland The second round of talks in mid-July began with an unflattering photo of a seemingly unprepared British team. It and subsequent rounds ended with little progress on three phase one issues: How much Britain still needed to pay into the EU budget after it leaves, the post-Brexit rights of EU and British citizens and whether Britain could keep an open border between Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe December 2017: Go-ahead for phase 2 Leaders of the remaining 27 EU members formally agreed that "sufficient progress" had been made to move on to phase two issues: the post-Brexit transition period and the future UK-EU trading relationship. While Prime Minister Theresa May expressed her delight at the decision, European Council President Tusk ominously warned that the second stage of talks would be "dramatically difficult."

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe July 2018: Johnson, Davis resign British ministers appeared to back a Brexit plan at May's Chequers residence on July 6. The proposal would have kept Britain in a "combined customs territory" with the EU and signed up to a "common rulebook" on all goods. That went too far for British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson and Brexit Secretary David Davis, who resigned a few days later. May replaced them with Jeremy Hunt and Dominic Raab.

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe September 2018: No cherries for Britain May's Chequers proposal did not go down well with EU leaders, who told her at a summit in Salzburg in late September that it was unacceptable. EU Council President Tusk trolled May on Instagram, captioning a picture of himself and May looking at cakes with the line: "A piece of cake perhaps? Sorry, no cherries." The gag echoed previous EU accusations of British cherry-picking.

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe November 2018: Breakthrough in Brussels EU leaders endorsed a 585-page draft divorce deal and political declaration on post-Brexit ties in late November. The draft had been widely condemned by pro- and anti-Brexit lawmakers in the British Parliament only weeks earlier. Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab resigned along with several other ministers, and dozens of Conservative Party members tried to trigger a no-confidence vote in May.

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe December 2018: May survives rebellion In the face of unrelenting opposition, May postponed a parliamentary vote on the deal on December 10. The next day, she met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to seek reassurances that would, she hoped, be enough to convince skeptical lawmakers to back the deal. But while she was away, hard-line Conservative lawmakers triggered a no-confidence vote. May won the vote a day later.

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe January 2019: Agreement voted down The UK Parliament voted 432 to 202 against May's Brexit deal on January 16. In response to the result, European Council President Donald Tusk suggested the only solution was for the UK to stay in the EU. Meanwhile, Britain's Labour Party called for a no-confidence vote in the prime minister, her second leadership challenge in as many months.

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe March 2019: Second defeat for May's deal May tried to get legal changes to the deal's so-called Irish backstop in the weeks that followed. She eventually got assurances that the UK could suspend the backstop under certain circumstances. But on March 12, Parliament voted against the revised Brexit deal by 391 to 242. EU leaders warned the vote increased the likelihood of a no-deal Brexit. Two days later, MPs voted to delay Brexit.

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe March 2019: Extension after second defeat Following the second defeat of May's divorce deal, the European Council met in Brussels on March 21 to decide what to do next. EU leaders gave May two options: delay Brexit until May 22 if MPs vote for the withdrawal deal or delay it until April 12 if they vote against the deal. If the deal were to fail again in Parliament, May could ask for a long extension.

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe March 2019: Brexit deal rejected a third time On March 29, the day that the UK was supposed to leave the EU, British lawmakers voted for a third time against May's deal — rejecting it this time with a vote of 344 to 286. Following the latest defeat, May approached the main opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in an attempt to find a compromise, angering hardline Brexiteers in her own Conservative party.

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe April 2019: Brexit delayed until Halloween With the April 12 deadline looming after the third defeat of May's deal, EU leaders met again in Brussels to discuss a second delay. The only question was how long should it be? In the end, the UK and EU agreed to a "flexible" extension until October 31 — which can end sooner if the Brexit deal is approved. The UK had to take part in EU elections in May because their exit wasn't secured in time.

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe May 2019: Prime Minister Theresa May resigns Weeks of talks between Prime Minister Theresa May and the Labour party to reach a deal proved unsuccessful and further eroded her political capital. She triggered an angry backlash from her party after she tried to put the option of a second referendum on the table. The series of failures led May to announce her resignation, effective June 7, in an emotional address.

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe June 2019: Search for a new prime minister After Theresa May announced on June 7 that she would leave office, other members of her Conservative party began clamoring for the top job. Within a month, the leadership battle came down to Jeremy Hunt (left), an EU proponent who fears a no-deal scenario, and Boris Johnson (right), one of the main proponents of Brexit.

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe July 2019: Prime Minister Boris Johnson At the end of July 2019, Johnson was officially named Theresa May's successor as British prime minister. "We are going to energize the country, we are going to get Brexit done by October 31," he said after he was elected leader of the Conservative Party.

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe September 2019: Johnson's election threat Conservative rebels and opposition MPs backed efforts to delay an October 31 Brexit deadline in fear of a no-deal departure. In response, Johnson called for a general election, saying his government cannot rule without a mandate after he stripped 21 rebel MPs of their Conservative status. The Labour Party said it would not back elections until legislation to block a no-deal Brexit was in place.

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe September 2019: Prorogation 'unlawful' In late September, Britain's highest court ruled that Johnson's decision to suspend Parliament ahead of the UK's planned exit was unlawful. "This was not a normal prorogation in the run-up to a Queen's Speech," said the Supreme Court. Political rivals immediately called on Johnson to leave his post. Johnson said he would abide by the court ruling, though said he "strongly" disagreed.

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe October 2019: A new deal British Prime Minister Boris Johnson managed to secure a deal with European negotiators that would allow the UK to leave the EU in an orderly manner. The deal received unanimous backing from the leaders of 27 other member states. But an attempt to get the UK Parliament to sign off on the deal failed. Instead, Parliament pushed for the Brexit deadline to be extended until the end of January 2020.

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe December 2019: Lawmakers vote for Johnson's Withdrawal Bill On December 22, UK lawmakers vote for Prime Minister Johnson's European Union withdrawal bill, which will see a leave date of January 31 2020 enshrined in law. Getting a majority to vote to pass the bill in the lower house has proven a major sticking point for the PM, but following a general election Johnson's Conservative party won control of the house and the bill passed with a 124 majority.



UK to get a 'status quo transition' but without voting power

"When you have left the European Union you have left, and this is just a transition to a new arrangement," Swedish EU Affairs and Trade Minister Ann Linde told reporters in Brussels following the vote.

The EU's deputy chief negotiator Sabine Weyand said the European affairs ministers adopted guidelines for Brexit negotiations "within two minutes." She added that the guidelines ensure a "status quo transition without institutional representation."

A Downing Street spokesman said that the UK welcomed the EU's transition terms, saying that Brussels and London's positions were well aligned. However, there is still "some distance" between the two sides concerning several transition details.

The EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said Britain "must accept" all EU laws during the transition, adding that there is still work to be done on the divorce agreement.

Read more: EU presents post-Brexit plan for Britain's 73 European Parliament seats

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What London isn't going to like about the EU stance: The plan has sparked deep divisions in British Prime Minister Theresa May's government, which had originally requested a two-year time period in order to negotiate trade deals. The UK's lack of policy-making power during the transition and the continued jurisdiction of the ECJ upsets Brexit supporters who argue the measures infringe on British sovereignty.

Read more: Donald Trump urges Theresa May to get tough in Brexit talks

Brexit negotiations: What are the key issues? Two phases EU leaders agreed to negotiating guidelines during a summit in April 2017 that divided the divorce talks into two phases. Phase I, in which both sides aimed to settle the basic terms of Britain's departure, started in July and ended with an agreement on "sufficient progress" in December. Officials are now holding Phase II negotiations on the post-Brexit relationship between Britain and the EU.

Brexit negotiations: What are the key issues? The "Brexit Bill" London agreed to a formula for calculating what it owes in its "divorce bill" to the EU in early December after months of haggling by British officials. The current EU budget expires in 2022 and EU officials have said the divorce bill will cover financial obligations Britain had committed to before triggering article 50. The final bill will reportedly total around £50 billion (€67 billion).

Brexit negotiations: What are the key issues? Citizens' rights Both sides agreed in early December that the 3 million EU citizens currently in Britain and the 1.1 million British citizens in the EU keep their residency rights after Brexit. British courts will have immediate jurisdiction over EU citizens living in Britain. But the EU's highest court, the ECJ, can hear cases until 2027 if British judges refer unclear cases to them.

Brexit negotiations: What are the key issues? The Irish border Britain and the EU also agreed in December that no border checks between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland would return post-Brexit. How feasible the commitment will be is unclear, as Britain's commitment to leaving the EU Single Market and Customs Union makes it difficult to avoid customs checks at the Irish border.

Brexit negotiations: What are the key issues? Transition period Theresa May envisages a two-year transition period after March 2019. Both sides still have to hash out the details of the transition period in Phase II, including the exact end-date, whether new EU laws passed during the period will apply to Britain, and whether Britain can negotiate its own free trade deals. British officials hope to agree on the terms of the transition by March 2018.

Brexit negotiations: What are the key issues? Trade May has repeatedly said Britain will leave the European Single Market and the EU Customs Union. Leaving both could disrupt British-EU trade, but allow Britain to negotiate its own free trade deals and restrict EU migration — key demands by pro-Brexit politicians. London has said it wants to negotiate a new EU-UK trade deal during Phase II to minimize trade disruption before March 2019.

Brexit negotiations: What are the key issues? Immigration Britain has also vowed to restrict EU migration into Britain after Brexit. However, some British lawmakers are wary that a sharp drop in immigration could lead to shortfalls in key sectors, including health, social care and construction. The EU has warned that Single Market access is out of the question if London decides to restrict the ability of its citizens to live and work in Britain.

Brexit negotiations: What are the key issues? Security Recent terror attacks across Europe including a string in Britain underline both sides' support for continued security cooperation after March 2019. But access to EU institutions such as Europol and programs such as the European Arrest Warrant require compliance with EU laws. Whether Britain will still be compliant after it leaves is unclear. Author: Alexander Pearson



EU seeks clarification: Ahead of the vote on Monday, the EU ministers in Brussels once again urged for London to clarify its negotiating stance and provide a clearer picture of the type of future relationship it wants to have with the bloc.

The road to Brexit: In a June 2016 referendum on breaking off Britain's EU membership, 52 percent voted to leave the bloc while 48 percent voted to remain. Both Brussels and London have been frustrated by sluggish progress in negotiations since they started last year.

Read more: Emmanuel Macron's EU vision meets Theresa May's search for the exit

What happens next: Monday's agreement paves the way for the EU and Britain to begin discussing the transition. Talks between Barnier and his British counterpart David Davis could begin as early as this week.

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rs/rt (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)