The European Union's remaining 27 members laid the ground rules Thursday for upcoming talks over the UK's impending departure for the EU.

"We welcome Britain's intention … so that we can begin to tackle the uncertainties arising from the prospect of Britain's withdrawal," the leaders said in a three-page statement, listing procedural steps.

Almost six months after 52 percent of the UK voted in favor of leaving the Union, Westminster is yet to trigger Article 50 which would begin the formal Brexit process.

In the statement on Thursday, EU leaders reiterated that there would be no movement until Britain formally asks to leave - a process which British Prime Minister Theresa May has said will begin by the end of March 2017.

May said on Thursday that it was right for EU counterparts to prepare for Brexit.

"We want that to be as smooth and orderly ... as possible. It's not just in our interest, it's in the interest of the rest of Europe as well," she said.

Once Article 50 is triggered, the EU 27 will hold another summit to instruct the European Commission on how to negotiate with London. The EU wants a deal before an EU election in May 2019.

Leaders rebuff legislature

The informal talks on Thursday came as the remaining 27 leaders rebuffed a bid by the EU legislature for a much bigger role in talks on Britain's exit from the EU.

Even though the EU Parliament will have to approve any Brexit scenario at the end of the talks, the EU nations plan to give the negotiator chosen by the bloc's executive Commission, Michel Barnier, the chief position at the negotiating table. That will leave the legislature, which has often been critical of Britain, in a minor role.

Due to its diverse political makeup, the EU Parliament could become an unpredictable player in the approval process.

"It is only reasonable to involve the European Parliament from day one," assembly president Martin Schulz warned leaders, highlighting that the assembly holds veto powers on any divorce settlement between the UK and other EU members.

EU President Donald Tusk argued, however, that "from the very beginning it was absolutely clear for me that the Commission must be the leader."

Post-Brexit protests in Great Britain "Brexit means Brexit!": Houses of Parliament, London, November 23, 2016 Around 200 Pro-Brexit protesters gathered outside the Houses of Parliament demanding a speedy exit from the European Union. They accuse the government of deliberately delaying the process by looking for loopholes to prevent Brexit.

Post-Brexit protests in Great Britain 48% still make their voices heard An EU-supporter protests outside the High Court in London as the Supreme Court announces that both the Scottish and Welsh Governments will be allowed to intervene in a court battle over how the Brexit process should be formally triggered.

Post-Brexit protests in Great Britain A pro-Brexit supporter dressed as a judge… …stands in front of an EU-supporter outside Britain's High Court. The battle over Britain's exit from the European Union reached the High Court in a legal challenge to Prime Minister Theresa May's right to start negotiations for Britain to leave the EU without a vote in parliament. The move could delay Brexit if successful and set up a constitutional face-off between the courts and the government.

Post-Brexit protests in Great Britain Pro and counter protests: Parliament Square, London, September 3, 2016 Under the slogan "March for Europe" EU-friendly Britons protested in Parliament Square in central London. Up to 2,000 protesters took a route from Hyde Park to the British parliament building in Westminster. Protests also took place in other British cities, including Edinburgh and Birmingham.

Post-Brexit protests in Great Britain Furious about the delay At the same demonstration, a much smaller counterprotest took place. Brexit supporters with banners such as "No More Excuses, We Want Brexit Now!" vented their anger about the stalemate in Brexit proceedings.

Post-Brexit protests in Great Britain Students in London protest against tuition fees... …but also worry about the recent wave of xenophobia and racism as a result of the vote in June. Paul Bagguley, a sociologist at Leeds University specializing in multicultural conflict in Britain, says that Brexit "was a kind of celebratory racism, partly because there was a political campaign in the run-up to it which legitimized expressions of racism."

Post-Brexit protests in Great Britain Marmitegate: Turning to practical impacts of Brexit When the value of a currency drops, the price of imports rises. But the situation with Marmite has been more complicated. Although Marmite is produced in the UK, it is owned by Unilever, an Anglo/Dutch company. It claimed that the price of the popular yeast spread had risen due to Brexit. Supermarket chain, Tesco, reacted by refusing to carry it. Thankfully, an agreement was reached.

Post-Brexit protests in Great Britain Frankfurt Christmas market in Birmingham at stake? This year Birmingham is hosting the German christmas market, with 138 stalls. If the British government imposes permits and visas in the wake of Brexit, then stallholders may find it too complicated to come to Britain. They may turn to other EU countries instead.

Post-Brexit protests in Great Britain Will European Christmas markets be too expensive for Brits? But perhaps there's still reason to hope: Glühwein, wooden toys and Bratwurst will probably always be in demand. The organiser of the Frankfurt Christmas Market in Birmingham, Kurt Stroscher, told the Birmingham Mail: "Brexit and the low value of the pound will not have any effect on prices." Author: Nadine Berghausen



ksb/rc (Reuters, AP, dpa)