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Comment by dijit | Hacker News Reader

It's rather notable that the UK has the option of aborting this process during the 2 years. (According to an EU official who's name I forget), it's incredibly unlikely that anyone will go back on this though. The uncertainty of having this option available is bad for the UK though. Markets hate uncertainty.

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It doesn't have the option per se: it can ask to abort it, and it can do so with the agreement of the 27. Also, the 27 can agree to a date far off in the future (it doesn't have to be two years).

It seems staggeringly unlikely that they would allow us to abort without a major change in relationship, though, and politically things would need to get extremely difficult for the UK for that to become palatable. All the exceptions and discounts we get right now would absolutely cease.

What is the precise source for the statement "it can [abort the process] with the agreement of the 27"? It's not in Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty.

A new European parliament resolution, which is yet be ratified.

"the UK will be able to revoke its notification of article 50 but this must be “subject to conditions set by all EU27 so they cannot be used as a procedural device or abused in an attempt to improve the actual terms of the United Kingdom’s membership”.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/mar/29/first-eu-re...

The 27 member states may do anything relating to the EU as they may simply change the rules. Including extending the negotiating period.

There is no restriction anywhere on the content or effect of the agreement reached under Article 50, so in principle the exit terms could be readmission, which is equivalent to aborting the process by universal agreement (it could also be to extend the term for which they are still in the EU pending exit indefinitely, with the same effect.)

Once Article 50 is triggered, there are two possibilities: either they are out with no special status in two years because no other agreement is reached before that time, or some agreement is reached within two years which gives some other terms, which terms are nowhere restricted.

Does it?

I thought Article 50 was very much a 'hand grenade', once the pin is out there's no going back. If the two years run out without an agreement being reached, doesn't the UK just get chucked out and revert to WTO rules?

http://nordic.businessinsider.com/eu-brexit-resolution-artic...

Says "leaked document"

> "subject to conditions set by all EU27 so they cannot be used as a procedural device or abused in an attempt to improve the actual terms of the United Kingdom's membership."

Is an interesting quote. It implies that everyone has to be in agreement? So one country could veto our remaining?

I'm assuming any remaining being agreed would also be subject to us losing special privileges we enjoyed yesterday.

Who knows what the final process will be following negotiations & interpretations.

I think Article 50 doesn't mention it. I'm not sure anybody can really be sure unless it's tested in court.

I've been wondering about this as I thought the same.

In the last few days though many news outlets have been using phrases such as "irrevocable process" and it's plainly not clear what the situation is. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/0/date-will-article-50-trigg...

What have we signed up for?

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