Founding EU members won’t waste time: UK must leave 'as soon as possible'

The six founding members admit EU must find ‘better ways of dealing with different levels of ambition so as to ensure that Europe delivers better on the expectations of all its citizens’

Foreign Ministers from EU's founding members meet to discuss the outcome
Foreign Ministers from EU's founding members meet to discuss the outcome

The six founding members of the European Union will not waste any time and want the United Kingdom’s divorce from the European Union to proceed now that the Britons have chosen so.

In a joint statement, the Foreign Ministers of Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands said they now expected “the UK government to provide clarity and give effect to this decision as soon as possible”.

And they pledged to work for “a stronger and more cohesive European Union of 27”.

On her part, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Britain "shouldn't take forever" to deliver formal notification of its decision to leave, but the matter was in the UK’s hands.

"To be honest, it shouldn't take forever, that's right — but I would not fight over a short period of time,” she said.

Announcing his decision to stand down, UK Prime Minister David Cameron said a new prime minister should be decided by October, who will “lead the country in the new direction”.

Merkel was also quoted saying that there is "no need to be particularly nasty in any way in the negotiations; they must be conducted properly."

The UK must now negotiate its departure with the EU, but only after a formal letter is sent to the EU as stipulated by Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty.

Increasing pressure on the UK to leave the bloc, the founding members said they stand ready “to work with the institutions once the negotiations in order to define and clarify the future relations between the EU and the UK will start”.
“The decision of the British people marks a watershed moment in the history of Europe. The European Union is losing not only a member state, but a host of history, tradition and experience,” the foreign ministers said.
“This creates a new situation. As a consequence of the decision of the British people, the agreement the European Council had found on 18/19 February ceases to exist.”

The six countries reminisced over the evolution of the European project since its creation in 1958: “It has reunited Eastern and Western Europe and it has brought about the longest period of peace on our continent in modern times. Moreover, it has been a driving force to bring the people of Europe together and thereby delivered on its promise that we have committed ourselves to in the treaties: To create an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe. We will continue in our efforts to work for a stronger and more cohesive European Union of 27 based on common values and the rule of law.”

The founding members said they will also recognize different levels of ambition amongst Member States when it comes to the project of European integration. “While not stepping back from what we have achieved, we have to find better ways of dealing with these different levels of ambition so as to ensure that Europe delivers better on the expectations of all European citizens” – a call which so many citizens and euro parliamentarians have been making for years.
They said, they were aware that discontent with the functioning of the EU as it is today is manifest in parts of societies.

“Neither a simple call for more Europe nor a phase of mere reflection can be an adequate answer. We have to focus our common efforts on those challenges which can only be addressed by common European answers, while leaving other tasks to national or regional levels. We must better deliver on those issues that we have chosen to tackle on the European level. And we must accept our responsibility to reinforce solidarity and cohesion within the European Union.”