美国国家公共电台 NPR Prime Minister Theresa May Says The U.K. To Begin EU Departure By March 2017

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Prime Minister Theresa May Says The U.K. To Begin EU Departure By March 2017

play pause stop mute unmute max volume 00:0001:14repeat repeat off Update Required To play the media you will need to either update your browser¹ to a recent version or update your Flash plugin. RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: 

Brexit has a date. British Prime Minister Theresa May told the BBC her government will trigger the formal process for leaving the European Union by the end of this coming March. According to Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, Britain will then have two years to negotiate the terms of its withdrawal² with the remaining European Union members, meaning the U.K. will likely be out of the EU by the spring of 2019. Here's May talking to the BBC about the upcoming negotiation³ process.

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PRIME MINISTER THERESA MAY: I hope, and I'll be saying to them, that now that they know what our timing⁴ is going to be - it's not an exact date, but they know it'll be in the first quarter of next year - that we'll be able to have some prepatory work so that once the trigger comes we have a smoother process of negotiation.

MARTIN: Fifty-two percent of Britons voted to leave the European Union in June. Theresa May took over as prime minister after David Cameron resigned following that vote. This announcement marks her first firm plan to move Brexit forward since taking office in July.