Ambassadors from EU capitals met in Brussels on Monday (December 28th) to give the nod to the accord, using a procedure which will take effect at 3.00pm Brussels time on Tuesday.
The move will provisionally allow tariff-free trade with Britain to continue after it leaves the EU single market at the New Year.
Sebastian Fischer, spokesman for the German presidency of the EU, said: "EU Ambassadors have unanimously approved the provisional application of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement."
‼️Green light for #BrexitDeal: EU Ambassadors have unanimously approved the provisional application of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement as of January 1, 2021.
— Sebastian Fischer (@SFischer_EU) December 28, 2020
👉 Next step: Final adoption by use of written procedure. Deadline: Tomorrow, 15.00 hours. #TCA #COREPER 🇪🇺🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/k76Iei9xm0
The member states' adoption of the plan allows it to come into effect in time to head off disruption of cross-Channel trade.
But the deal must still be ratified retrospectively by the European Parliament, probably in late February.
Hardline Brexiteers to back Boris
Meanwhile, British newspaper, The Daily Mail, is reporting that UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has persuaded Brexit hardliners in his Conservative Party to back the EU trade deal in the Commons this week.
Boris Johnson appears to win support of Tory Eurosceptics for his EU trade agreement https://t.co/gf5Q62efAu
— Daily Mail U.K. (@DailyMailUK) December 28, 2020
UK government ministers expect most of the pro-Brexit European Research Group to fall in behind the agreement on Wednesday when it is voted on, with only about ten Tory rebels voting against.
According to The Daily Mail, both Houses of Parliament, the Commons and the Lords, will sit for a single day this Wednesday to pass the so-called Future Relationship Bill that will implement the free trade deal between the UK and EU.
