Now that the European Commission has agreed that "sufficient progress" has been made on the UK's EU withdrawal deal, what happens next?
π December 11 - Theresa May expected to deliver a statement to the House of Commons.
π December 13 - European Parliament debates and votes on the joint report drawn up by negotiators for the UK and EU on the divorce issues of citizens' rights, the Irish border and the financial settlement.
π December 14-15 - Leaders of the remaining 27 EU states, meeting at a scheduled European Council summit, are expected to give the green light to move negotiations on to trade and the transition to a post-Brexit relationship.
π December 20 - The Government's EU (Withdrawal) Bill is due to complete the crucial committee stage in the House of Commons, with further debates in both Houses of Parliament expected to take up months of 2018.
2018
π Winter/spring - Negotiations on the transition to future EU/UK relations, along with "exploratory talks" on a possible free trade agreement.
π March 22-23 - European Council summit in Brussels. An opportunity to assess what kind of trade deal can be expected.
π May - English local government elections will provide the Prime Minister Theresa May with her first widespread electoral test since the disastrous snap election of June 8 2017.
π October - A final treaty on withdrawal and transition should be ready by this point in order to allow time for ratification before the end of the two-year Article 50 deadline. EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier says that it is only at this stage that the "real negotiation" on a free trade deal will begin, and that the parties will be "hard pressed for time" to conclude this before the March 2019 date of Brexit.
2019
π Winter/spring - Ratification process involving as many as 38 national and regional parliaments, with any of them effectively holding a veto.
Brexit Secretary David Davis has promised that Parliament will have to approve any deal in a Withdrawal Agreement and Implementation Bill, although this will be on a "take it or leave it" basis. MPs will consider the legislation before MEPs in the European Parliament carry out the final vote on any agreement.
π March 29 - Two years after the invocation of Article 50, the UK ceases to be a member of the EU and is no longer subject to its treaties, whether or not a withdrawal agreement has been reached. Because the exact moment of exit is midnight Brussels time, the UK is due to leave at 11pm on March 29. Under the terms of the EU (Withdrawal) Bill, the bulk of Brussels legislation would be automatically transposed on to the UK statute book.
π June - European Parliament elections will take place without the UK.
2020
π December 31 - Britain ceases payments into the EU budget.
2021
π If a two-year "implementation period" is agreed, Britain will finally move to its new relationship with the EU in the spring of 2021, ceasing to observe EU rules and regulations.
2027
π Expected end of the European Court of Justice's role in the oversight of the rights of EU citizens living in the UK.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. Weβve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who arenβt really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So thatβs why weβve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate β and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about β people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Letβs get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here