136.
Both Parties affirm that the achievements, benefits and commitments of the peace process in
Northern Ireland will remain of paramount importance to peace, stability and reconciliation.
They agree that the Good Friday or Belfast Agreement reached on 10 April 1998 by the
United Kingdom Government, the Irish Government and the other participants in the multi-
party negotiations (the ‘1998 Agreement’) must
be protected in all its parts, and that this
extends to the practical application of the 1998 Agreement on the island
of Ireland and to the
totality of the relationships set out in the 1998 Agreement.
137.
After the Union has taken the steps necessary to begin formal negotiations under Article 218
of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), it is envisaged that the
Parties will negotiate in parallel the agreements needed to give the future relationship legal
form.
138.
Immediately following the United Kingdom's
withdrawal, and based on their preparatory
work, the Parties will agree a programme including:
a)
the structure and format of the negotiation rounds, including with respect to parallel
tracks; and
b)
a formal schedule of negotiating rounds.
139.
This programme will be designed to deliver the Parties' shared
intention to conclude
agreements giving effect to the future relationship by the end of 2020 as set out in
paragraph 135. The European Commission is ready to propose
applying on a provisional
basis relevant aspects of the future relationship, in line with the applicable legal frameworks
and existing practice.
140.
With a view to providing a sound foundation for the talks on the future relationship between
the United Kingdom and the Union, both Parties will expeditiously:
a)
identify those areas that are likely to require the greatest
consideration and the
associated legal and technical issues that will need to be addressed, in order that the
necessary technical preparations can be made on both sides;
b)
draw-up a full
schedule for the negotiations, taking into account relevant internal
processes; and
c)
consider the logistical requirements of the formal negotiations.
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141.
Following the United Kingdom’s
withdrawal from the Union, the Parties will convene to
take stock of progress with the aim of agreeing actions to move forward in negotiations on
the future relationship. In particular, the Parties will convene at a high level in June 2020 for
this purpose.