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Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which sets out the mechanisms for how to withdraw from the EU, has generated much debate ever since the UK voted to leave the Union on 23 June. Can it be triggered without Parliamentary approval? Is it reversible once triggered? What happens if an exit agreement is not reached within the two-year time limit?
One section of the article, which has caused a particularly heated debate, is the reference to the ‘framework for [the UK’s] future relationship with the Union’ – a framework that has to be taken into account when negotiating the exit agreement, but which will be negotiated separately. Even if the prime minister recently agreed to give some indication of the government’s Brexit plan prior to triggering article 50, the government has so far chosen not to disclose any information about how it envisages this future relationship between the UK and the EU. As a result, plenty of speculation has taken place about potential options or models, with a particular focus on trade – the area most affected by the UK leaving the EU.
