Brexit

Overview

Brexit (a portmanteau of "British exit") is the popular term for the withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU) and the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC or Euratom) at the end of 31 January 2020 CET.

To date, the UK is the first and only country formally to leave the EU, after 47 years of membership within the bloc, after having first joined its predecessor, the European Communities (EC), on 1 January 1973. It is also thought to be the first country to withdraw voluntarily from an economic and monetary union of countries (although the UK never adopted the euro). It continued to participate in the European Union Customs Union and European Single Market during a transition period that ended on 31 December 2020 at 23:00 GMT (00:00 CET).