UK Membership of EU

(asked on 9th March 2016) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the report, The process for withdrawing from the EU Cm9216, published on 29 February 2016, if he will take steps to ensure that, in the event of the UK leaving the EU, the principles enshrined within Protocol 3 of the 1972 Accession Treaty are retained following the negotiation of the UK's relationship with the EU.


Answered by
David Lidington Portrait
David Lidington
This question was answered on 24th March 2016

The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man have a special relationship with the EU, provided under Protocol 3 to the UK’s Treaty of Accession to the European Community. The procedure governing a country’s departure from the EU is set out in Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union. This provides for a period of two years for the negotiation of exit terms. After two years, the departing Member State is deemed to have left the EU, meaning that both the rights and the obligations that derive from membership would lapse. This two year deadline can be extended, but only by unanimous agreement of all EU Member States.

At the February European Council, the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government's position, as set out by the Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), to the House on 22 February, is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.

Reticulating Splines