European Commission Says Hopes UK Lawmakers To Support Divorce Deal Amid Looming Deadline

European Commission Says Hopes UK Lawmakers to Support Divorce Deal Amid Looming Deadline

The European Commission hopes that there will be positive vote in the UK House of Commons on the agreement on the UK withdrawal from the European Union, on which the Brexit deadline is conditional, the commission's head, Jean-Claude Juncker, said

BRUSSELS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd March, 2019) The European Commission hopes that there will be positive vote in the UK House of Commons on the agreement on the UK withdrawal from the European Union, on which the Brexit deadline is conditional, the commission's head, Jean-Claude Juncker, said.

At their meeting in Brussels on Thursday, the EU member states' heads of state and government agreed to extend the withdrawal deadline until May 22 given that the UK lawmakers approve the deal the next week. If the parliamentarians choose not to back the deal, the deadline would be extended until April 12.

"We are hopeful that the agreement will be adopted by the House of Commons," Juncker said during a press conference alongside European Council President Donald Tusk in Brussels.

The lawmakers have repeatedly failed to pass the Brexit deal negotiated by London and Brussels. At the same time, they have expressed their support for ruling out a no-deal Brexit ahead of the withdrawal deadline, initially set for March 29.

UK Prime Minister Theresa May subsequently asked the European Union to delay the deadline until June 30.