Since 1 February 2020, the United Kingdom has left not only the European Union (EU) but also the Single Market and the Customs Union.
Once the UK notified the EU of its intention to leave, negotiations began with a view to agreeing the easiest possible withdrawal from the EU. In the end, the EU and the British Government reached agreement on the withdrawal, and the European Council approved it on 25 November 2018.
The draft withdrawal agreement concerns managing the consequences of Brexit, including:
- citizens’ rights
- the Irish border
- the financial arrangements
- managing the transition period
The terms of the future UK-EU relationship have been approved separately from the withdrawal agreement, and became the subject of a joint political declaration that forms the basis for the future partnership.