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LONDON – The 27 ambassadors of EU member countries formally approved on Monday the Brexit trade agreement reached with the United Kingdom last week, the latest obstacle to an agreement that will be implemented on January 1.
The ambassadors worked during the Christmas holidays and approved a provisional order on Monday morning. The EU Parliament, the only directly elected chamber in the EU, is not expected to vote until January and has refused to ratify it during the tight deadline. Instead, the provisional application will allow it to take effect on Friday of New Year’s Day.
EU governments have until 2 pm (London time) on Tuesday to send their written approval, but this is also a formality, since EU leaders have already welcomed the deal.
The British government will vote on the trade agreement on Wednesday and the country will end its transition period with the EU at 11 pm local time on New Year’s Eve.
The 1,246-page document, the details of which are published on the UK government website, and worrying last-minute negotiations left little time for any proper analysis ahead of time.
The UK’s opposition Labor Party should support the deal, despite concerns, but there will likely be some rebel lawmakers in Labor and the ruling Conservative Party.
Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon expressed his disapproval of the agreement, and the UK fishing industry gave a cold response, accusing British Prime Minister Boris Johnson of securing only a “fraction of what the UK is entitled to agree. with international law and government has repeatedly said it would guarantee on behalf of the UK fishing industry. “
On Christmas Eve, the two sides reached a “zero tariff agreement – zero quota”, which will help facilitate goods trade in the English Channel. This brought relief to exporters on both sides, who faced higher tariffs and costs if an agreement had not been reached.
The two sides have been engaged in intense negotiations since March to establish how trade will work from January.
—Silvia Amaro from CNBC contributed to this article.