EU news January 2020

What happened in the EU in January 2020

Brexit
Tonight at 00:00 Brussels time, the United Kingdom legally leaves the European Union. What it means? British politicians lose their political power in the EU. No more Brits in the European Parliament. No more British PM when Prime Ministers and Presidents meet. Plus, some symbolic changes, like British passports changing colours. But the UK will still pay as much for the EU budget as before.

This situation will continue for 11 months. During this period, the UK and the EU will talk about how their relationship will be. Experts say a trade deal will be very, very difficult in less than a year. A 'hard' Brexit, with no deal, will still remain on the table. The EU countries will have to balance the money the UK contributes to the EU budget with trade concessions. So expect the same story again in the coming year.



Phone chargers
The Parliament and Commission are thinking of making one charger for all phones. If this happens, everybody could use the same charger. This is just one example of how the EU has or could have a big impact on our lives.

Recommended readings:
New York Times: phone chargers
BBC: changes after Brexit
The Guardian: Brexit