The post-Brexit trade agreement between the UK and EU has moved a step closer to being passed after it was unanimously approved by EU ambassadors.
On Monday, ambassadors for EU member states backed a provisional application of the agreement, according to a spokesperson for the German EU Council Presidency. It means that the terms of the agreement can be implemented from 1 January 2021, following the end of the Brexit transition period.
The deal will still need to be agreed to by the EU Parliament, though this process is expected to take much longer and not take place until February.
The deal, which was agreed on Christmas Eve, is expected to be passed through the Houses of Parliament in the UK on Wednesday. Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer has said that his party will back the deal because it is better than ‘no deal’, making it highly likely that the agreement will pass through the Commons.
Brexmas: UK and EU agree post-Brexit trade deal
What are some of the key points of the UK-EU post-Brexit trade deal?