2015–2016 United Kingdom renegotiation of European Union membership
Process that preceded Brexit referendum / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2015–2016 United Kingdom renegotiation of European Union membership was an unimplemented non-binding package of changes to the United Kingdom's terms of its European Union (EU) membership as a member state and changes to EU rules which were first proposed by Prime Minister David Cameron in January 2013, with negotiations beginning in the summer of 2015 following the outcome of the UK General Election.[1][2] The package was agreed by the President of the European Council Donald Tusk, and approved by EU leaders of all 27 other countries at the European Council session in Brussels on 18–19 February 2016 between the United Kingdom and the rest of the European Union.[3][4] The changes were intended to take effect following a vote for "Remain" in the UK's in-out referendum in June 2016, at which point suitable legislative proposals would be presented by the European Commission. Due to the outcome of the referendum in which the electorate voted by 51.9% to 48.1% to leave the bloc, the changes were never implemented and subsequently the United Kingdom withdrew from the European Union in January 2020.
This article's tone or style may not reflect the encyclopedic tone used on Wikipedia. (April 2024) |
Signed | 19 February 2016 |
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Condition | "Remain" vote in the United Kingdom European Union membership referendum and subsequent approval by European Parliament. |
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The renegotiated terms were in addition to the United Kingdom's existing opt-outs in the European Union and the UK rebate. The changes were legally binding insomuch as the intentions and statements made by the EU leaders were enshrined in an international treaty. The implementation of some of the changes would have required legislation by the European Parliament or treaty change within the EU and so the details may have altered, although it would be hard for the European Commission or the European Parliament to directly defy national governments.[5]
After the deal had been approved, Cameron described it as giving the United Kingdom "special status within the European Union" and immediately declared that both he and the UK Government would campaign for a "Remain" vote in the referendum within a "reformed European Union". The following day, after a special meeting of the cabinet, Cameron announced that the in-out referendum would be held on 23 June 2016 under the provisions of the European Union Referendum Act 2015 which had already been agreed by the British Parliament.
On 23 June 2016, the United Kingdom, on a national turnout of 72%, voted by 51.9% to 48.1% to leave the European Union and indirectly reject the terms of the new agreement. The result received a variety of different reactions internationally and began the process of leaving by invoking Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union on 29 March 2017; after three extensions to the Article 50 process on 31 January 2020 at 23:00 GMT in accordance with the result of the referendum, the United Kingdom became the first EU member state to formally leave the bloc, ending 47 years of membership.