Opportunities for a new arrangement in the post-Brexit trade agreement agreed last week are brighter, with support from European Union (EU) member states on Monday.
At a meeting of the ambassadors in Brussels, 27 member states gave their support for the agreement to be implemented temporarily later this year. The decision will be formally resolved by a written procedure on Tuesday.
EU presidential spokesman Sebastian Fischer confirmed that the deal had been given the green light in a tweet on twitter yesterday.
The only obstacle that could prevent the deal from being implemented was a vote by EU and UK MPs.
British MPs will be called to sit on December 30 (Wednesday) to debate and vote on the deal.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has previously voiced her rejection of the deal, and the UK fisheries industry has also responded by accusing Prime Minister Boris Johnson of acquiring only a fraction of what Britain should have been entitled to under international law.
Meanwhile, the European Parliament is expected not to vote until January as they want to conduct a stricter assessment. Instead, the temporary implementation given by the EU ambassador will allow it to take effect from 1 January.
