Brexit Update: May 2017

Brexit negotiations are likely to begin in earnest during the week beginning 19 June (after the UK General Election on 8 June). In the meantime, the priorities of the EU27, the UK, the Irish Government and Central Bank have become clearer since the service of the Article 50 notice signalling the UK's intention to leave both the EU and Euratom and the publication of the White Paper on the Great Repeal Bill by the UK Government at the end of March.

EU NEGOTIATING GUIDELINES

The EU Council formally agreed its Guidelines for Brexit negotiations at a meeting on 29 April. As expected, key aspects of the Guidelines are as follows:

• the four freedoms that form part of the single market (free movement of goods, services, capital and people) are indivisible, and the UK will not be allowed participate in the single market on a sector-by-sector basis, supporting some of those freedoms but not others;