Wednesday February 05, 2025

No more short delays on Brexit unless deal adopted by April 12: Juncker

Published : 03 Apr 2019, 19:18

  DF-Xinhua Report
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker attends a press conference after EU's spring summit in Brussels, Belgium, on March 22, 2019. (Xinhua/European Union).

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker warned the United Kingdom on Wednesday that if the country's European Union (EU) Withdrawal Agreement is not adopted by April 12 by the House of Commons, no short extension to the Brexit deadline will be possible as requested by British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday.

Speaking in Brussels, he said: "April 12 is the final date for possible approval. If the House of Commons does not adopt a stance before that date no short-term extension will be possible."

"I believe a no-deal at midnight on April 12 is now a very likely scenario," Juncker said, adding that: "It is not the outcome I want."

His comments came as Prime Minister May said on Tuesday she would seek "as short as possible" a delay to the current Brexit date of April 12. She also reiterated that she did not want Britain to have to take part in the European Parliament elections starting May 23.

Juncker also set out conditions for talks after a no-deal Brexit: the UK must honor its financial commitments to the EU; citizens' rights must be upheld and protected; and a solution must be found to the Irish border issue that "preserves peace and the internal market."