Brussels — The UK and EU reached a landmark deal on Monday on a transition phase that will last for nearly two years after the historic Brexit divorce in 2019, EU negotiator Michel Barnier said. The two sides agreed on a "backstop" solution for the thorny issue of the future of the Irish border, just weeks after Prime Minister Theresa May said no UK premier could ever accept such an idea. After an "intensive" weekend of talks in Brussels, Barnier said the two sides were "in agreement on a large part" of the divorce treaty governing the terms of the UK’s departure after four decades of membership. "We have reached an agreement on the transition period," Barnier and David Davis, Brexit secretary, told a press conference. The transition will begin on Brexit day — March 29 2019 — and last until December 31 2020. During that period the UK "will no longer participate in the EU decision-making process," Barnier said. "Nevertheless, it will preserve the benefits, the advantages of the singl...
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