The European Union has expressed disquiet at the decision by the United Kingdom to exit the union.<\/p>\n
A joint statement issued by the Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament, Mark Rutte, holder of the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU, and Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission said\u00a0 though they regret the outcome of the referendum, they respect it.<\/p>\n
“In a free and democratic process, the British people have expressed their wish to leave the European Union. We regret this decision but respect it,\u201d the statement added.<\/p>\n
The Brits voted in a historic referendum on Thursday to exit the European Union after more than four decades of joining the common market.<\/p>\n
About 52% voted to leave the European Union while 48% said they should remain.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0leadership of the Union in the statement urged the UK to trigger the necessary procedures in negotiating their exit.<\/p>\n
“We now expect the United Kingdom government to give effect to this decision of the British people as soon as possible,\u00a0however painful that process may be. Any delay would unnecessarily prolong uncertainty. We have rules to deal with this in an\u00a0orderly way….We stand ready to launch negotiations swiftly with the United Kingdom regarding the terms and\u00a0conditions of its withdrawal from the European Union. Until this process of negotiations is over, the United Kingdom remains a\u00a0member of the European Union, with all the rights and obligations that derive from this. According to the Treaties which the\u00a0United Kingdom has ratified, EU law continues to apply to the full to and in the United Kingdom until it is no longer a Member,” the statement added.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Below is the full statement from the EU:<\/strong><\/p>\n Joint statement by Donald Tusk, President of the\u00a0European Council, Martin Schulz, President of the\u00a0European Parliament, Mark Rutte, holder of the rotating\u00a0Presidency of the Council of the EU, and Jean-Claude\u00a0Juncker, President of the European Commission, on the\u00a0outcome of the United Kingdom referendum.<\/p>\n President Tusk, President Schulz and Prime Minister Rutte met this morning in Brussels upon the invitation of European\u00a0Commission President Juncker. They discussed the outcome of the United Kingdom referendum and made the following joint<\/p>\n “In a free and democratic process, the British people have expressed their wish to leave the European Union. We regret this\u00a0decision but respect it.<\/p>\n This is an unprecedented situation but we are united in our response. We will stand strong and uphold the EU’s core values of\u00a0promoting peace and the well-being of its peoples. The Union of 27 Member States will continue. The Union is the framework of\u00a0our common political future. We are bound together by history, geography and common interests and will develop our\u00a0cooperation on this basis. Together we will address our common challenge to generate growth, increase prosperity and ensure\u00a0a safe and secure environment for our citizens. The institutions will play their full role in this endeavour.<\/p>\n We now expect the United Kingdom government to give effect to this decision of the British people as soon as possible,\u00a0however painful that process may be. Any delay would unnecessarily prolong uncertainty. We have rules to deal with this in an\u00a0orderly way. Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union sets out the procedure to be followed if a Member State decides to\u00a0leave the European Union. We stand ready to launch negotiations swiftly with the United Kingdom regarding the terms and\u00a0conditions of its withdrawal from the European Union. Until this process of negotiations is over, the United Kingdom remains a\u00a0member of the European Union, with all the rights and obligations that derive from this. According to the Treaties which the\u00a0United Kingdom has ratified, EU law continues to apply to the full to and in the United Kingdom until it is no longer a Member.<\/p>\n As agreed, the \u201cNew Settlement for the United Kingdom within the European Union\u201d, reached at the European Council on 18-19\u00a0February 2016, will now not take effect and ceases to exist. There will be no renegotiation.<\/p>\n As regards the United Kingdom, we hope to have it as a close partner of the European Union also in the future. We expect the\u00a0United Kingdom to formulate its proposals in this respect. Any agreement, which will be concluded with the United Kingdom as a\u00a0third country, will have to reflect the interests of both sides and be balanced in terms of rights and obligations.\u201d<\/p>\n Press office – General Secretariat of the Council<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n –<\/p>\n By: Godwin A. Allotey\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana
\nFollow @AlloteyGodwin<\/a>
\n