Ambassadors of the member states of the European Union approved the provisional version of the Brexit deal on Monday. This is a temporary approval until 28 February, according to the spokesman for the German EU presidency on Twitter. The agreement will enter into force on 1 January 2021.

According to the spokesman, the ambassadors unanimously decided to give the provisional agreement the go-ahead. On Tuesday afternoon, the formal approval of the EU member states must follow.

The European Commission has proposed a provisional regulation until 28 February to give the European Parliament time to properly review the Brexit deal that was concluded on Thursday.

Parliament will not vote on it until the New Year, while the British will leave the EU on 1 January. The temporary arrangement should avoid unnecessary problems. The United Kingdom has yet to ratify the agreement itself. The British Parliament will meet on 30 December.

On Thursday, after nine months of negotiations, an agreement was finally reached between the European Union and the United Kingdom. It lays down rules for trade between the two parties.

It must ensure that the British leave the EU smoothly. Although the UK left the EU on 31 January 2020, there is still a transitional period until 31 December.