i'm kasia madera if you are saying in london — the headlines: final foot. if you are saying legally speaking, article 50 you donald tusk confirms there will be another delay to brexit until the end of october — cannot do that. under the terms of article 50, you can extend as many we'll be live in brussels with the latest. times as you like. legally. and technically. it comes down to the politics. and what other countries for all of us i hope that we can wanted to extend again. if you had got to a phase where a referendum resolve this before october the was going to take place, but the uk sist. resolve this before october the 3ist. but at least by october the said they cut it into the end of sist. november, they will kick them out at the british pm will now hear october, i don't think so. it is not the terms set by the eu — a done deal. as we saw on the 29th but will it be enough to calm her critics back home? of march. and we are setting out we will be live in brussels with the friday at 23 it will not be done. talking to the evening about the very latest. extension and for what purpose the the world's biggest election is set extension and for what purpose the extension is. that is where the to begin in india with nearly divide is really within the room. 900 million people expected to vote. some still playing to the hope that the uk goes in a different direction with another referenda. if you go along, that that open up that path wasn't somewhat different to want to get over with? —— another referenda. do you think they will resolve that and there is some consensus now as

to what will happen or a split there? i'm not sure they have solved it. the convenience of the end of october, it is the day before the new president of the commission takes office. a month before the new president of the council takes office. if you like, it could be seen as part of an overall changing of the guard. but actually come as i think we discussed earlier today, none of these are decisions which need to be taken unanimously. these can be taken by a qualified majority. the commission and others have looked pretty hard at the next 12 months in their conclusion is that are not that many things you can actually block if you are a one member state over the next 12 months about them the next really big decision which requires unanimous agreement is on the next seven year budget. that if the decision that that the have to be taken until the summer that the have to be taken until the summerof 2020, that the have to be taken until the summer of 2020, possibly use later. there will still be those that if we

got into the autumn, and once again, brexit is dominating eu discussions and we are not sure what will happen, there will suddenly be voices saying we need to push us further down the road. theresa may will have to menaces politically. there were some in her own party. —— manage this politically. three weeks ago she said she didn't want to delay brexit. now, we have a day. west texas to october. this lot down here, the big british press corps, what will they make of it" blue you have been talking to him alone. what are they saying? we know within the tory party there are plenty of nice being sharpened. there are those who ta ke being sharpened. there are those who take your time is done. in that argument will be playing out now. legally speaking they can get rid of her. not until the end of the year. if half or cabinet resigned, that might precipitate things. —— let's see. they had to sayjust to make.

the rest of the eu is well aware of the possibility of this longer extension being a way for the tory to elect a new leader for britain to have a new prime minister. and it may well be that as a prime minister who wants a peer or, harder brexit who wants a peer or, harder brexit who will come back here. -- apa, hard brexit. or the american... we now have the uk very likely holding european parliament elections and a question about the extent to which that ends up being going back to the referendum on how people feel about where we are. it will be difficult for the next election. if there is a new leader come again, like boris johnson, what will they be making of this course are extending in the wings waving their potential trade deals now the uk getting gone i think there has been a lot of confusion in washington and the us. the debate is very weedy and technical and some people on one hand are not

able to follow the details and on the other hand there is just a lot of confusion about what is happening and where things stand. the trumpet ministration has been open to negotiating a free—trade agreement. —— the trump administration. but he is been approaching this and a very creditor way because theresa may will be in a disparate situation to be her to get a deal with the british public about the idea of what britain is in that the uk will have these great free—trade agreements and i think it will really run into difficulty with some of the american demands. there is always the genetically modified food, there is american concern about pharmaceutical pricing on the nhs so if we get to the point of these negotiations, they will be much longer and harder than a lot of people expect. we spoke at the beginning of the programme to the vice president of european parliament who was megan the point for ireland losing out potentially onto mvps because they are taking pa rt facet onto mvps because they are taking part facet there are a lot of people who sit in congress who care about

the good friday agreement and what is happening in ireland and that will tarnish or maybe tinge the way that they looking with the uk is doing. i think that is right and this was a message coming out of washington and the irish contingent depends on washington to celebrate st patrick's day and a lot of the message from congress to people who are so message from congress to people who are so pathetic to ireland is that they will not be prepared in congress to ratify a trade deal being done on the back of the good friday agreement or detrimental in any way to the poetical situation in northern ireland. if you do have a ha rd northern ireland. if you do have a hard brexit and a predatory approach, if you have hard brexiteers not caring about the situation with the border in northern ireland, that is going to come across resistance in congress. just in terms of no deal which we we re just in terms of no deal which we were facing down the barrel of tonight, to d0 —— days away from no deal, do we now think that is off the table and looking in terms of

travel towards a softer brexit? the table and looking in terms of travel towards a softer brexit7m is off the table for now we think although let's face it, we still do not know that teresa mae has accepted the offer of the extension and the terms it's made. we still have to wait. this summit isn't over yet and i have seen summits where we think we've gotten to the end of it and suddenly there is a twist of the tale. so let's see what happens there. i think the idea that we would be leaving 2300 on a friday would be leaving 2300 on a friday would be leaving 2300 on a friday would be highly unlikely for some time. we would still need to have this summit decision rectified and that the date of brexit would enter into uk law and need to be changed by second—rate legislation in london which can be done relatively quickly. further down the road, it seems to me it's now that we select the option leaving with no deal but it is still one of the options and this process is harder than we thought stop it with the one debate

we will get into witches tomorrow when we go back to the negotiations between conservative and, is what can the two sides get around. and leo varadkar came can the two sides get around. and leo varadkarcame in, can the two sides get around. and leo varadkar came in, the irish prime minister unprompted talking about a customs union which we know the labour side favours and indeed jeremy corbyn tweeted tonight about leo varadkar agrees. and on the front sight they are saying "uk is not going to have a gay —— say in you —— eu trade policy and that is what many conservative mps are worried about. there are different thoughts. there are a lot of examples of customs unions around the world and not all of them are the world and not all of them are the same. the devil will be in the detail what it is negotiated for sub the other thing seems to be more immediately about the idea of the conservative and labour parties getting together is that they're not looking back to fighting an election campaign where they will be knocking

seven bells out of each other. are they at the same time behind the scenes going to have a constructive debate about the future nature of the economic relationship between the economic relationship between the uk and european union? that seems unlikely to me. there will be a few things pushed down the road here. there are those in the eu who thought this was a bit of windowdressing this conservative labour prosperity discretion. they needed something so they were serious about things and moving on. — — cross— party serious about things and moving on. —— cross—party discussion. i've talked to several things that they did not have much allusion saying they would produce a rabbit out of a hat on those talks in the short amount of time they had. for two years, they were drawing daggers with each other and you do not turn that around in two days. they do say these talks are serious but that begs the question if they think that they want to use that long extension to bring those in transient mps across to support theresa may's the?

possibly but since we're heading into the local elections, holding european elections towards the end of may, that's a difficult time for high—profile election campaigning and what will be a very unusual european election. let's face it, there will be people from sort of both sides, passionate remainers, passionate believers, both main parties as well. it will be a difficult time for those two parties to sit down and have constructive talks behind—the—scenes stuff chris, and amanda, thank you for staying with us. we are waiting for prescriptions and chris wright was as of though we think we have gotten summer, we do not know because things happen in european summits, the details of what we do close —— would closely which is presumably what theresa may is looking at in the company of donald tusk right now. they are walked somewhere in this building having a discussion about what the obligations will be on the uk side, and what the purpose

of the u —— review will be injune and an extension to this new date, october 31. i am sure the prime minister breathing a bit of a sigh of relief because i dare say she did not want to manage no deal on friday. she has the extension that she requested, the word for her so very much on because she has to try and find some way of getting a withdrawal agreement through the parliaments. catch you adware has joined me. it came a little bit quicker than we thought this agreement this evening. finally there was a compromise, how did they get there? —— katya. there was a compromise, how did they get there? -- katya. iwill say one thing to you, fudge. aren't eu summits famous for? we had emmanuel macron sandy tappan saying "i will not be on the 30th ofjune" knowing full we ll not be on the 30th ofjune" knowing full well that the press would be talking about that outside and that's what he would like. he wants to send this message back on that he

is tough in defending europe, he doesn't like the longer extension, he worries about a prime minister that might follow theresa may who might try and obstruct the workings of the eu from the inside and so he has many reasons why to take that particular position and to be seen to be taking it ahead of the european parliament three elections on the 22nd, 26th of may. the other leaders, the majority of them were in favour of a longer extension 6—12 months. there at the lower end of that. you can say it doesn't really please anybody or you could say everybody's has a little bit of it. but it has come down to a fudge for those in that room, donald tusk, the president of the eu council, angela merkel, you have seen history yet seena merkel, you have seen history yet seen a long time for history to change. her in east germany, they wa nt change. her in east germany, they want to give the uk proper time if the uk wanted to rethink its decision about leaving the european

union and possibly take another route to a softer person or to revoke brexit altogether. 31st of october want to do it. but this is where they have landed with a kind of in between... six once, 20 weeks maybe? back to the uk, it is still so divided where it isjust not there yet for some people will not have breathing space if that is what the country wanted or needed. angela merkel wanted to get that space, and emmanuel macron didn't. they met summer in the middle. you asked me about the two main leaders in the eu and they found the compromise position between the two. the idea of the june review is a meaningless review. this place works on unanimity and different sides of briefing and what went on in the room, the feeling is that they are none too happy with emmanuel macron because he dug in. yes there people from inside the room and said he made it all about france whereas this was about the uk. that's what happens at. that is what happens at

these summits. they needed to come toa these summits. they needed to come to a unanimous decision by walk today and they managed to do that. and now i think the story moves to westminster, theresa may has to sell this at home. at least for a couple of weeks. the letters manage to take breaks it off of their diary. that was the main consideration for them to see me. but with this 30th of june renewal even if it doesn't have teeth, we really need to see the details in the conclusion and i we we re details in the conclusion and i we were looking at an extension to the 30th ofjune were looking at an extension to the 30th of june that were looking at an extension to the 30th ofjune that could be extended to october croissant how serious is that? if it isjust worse to help emmanuel macron otherwise we could be back here at the end ofjune. we have been talking about the european commission site, the jean—claude juncker commission comes to an end on the 23rd and the new present sta rts on the 23rd and the new present starts in november. but who starts the process, who decide to the new

european commission president is, who decides what positions are put forward on the first week of november, how does it all work? that's where it will be interesting to see the details in this document because it's the eu saint it is the sorry, the 31st of october and that is it? they can't do that under article 50 because as long as there is unanimity, and keep going on, then they can roll it on. that they could say that this is their last... i suppose what it would affect is whether those uk commissioner —— there is a uk commissioner. if there isa there is a uk commissioner. if there is a chance to extend again and this is a chance to extend again and this is the same thing with the european parliamentary elections that they ta ke parliamentary elections that they take part or not, if their record to be in the eu past the 23rd of may, thatis be in the eu past the 23rd of may, that is why the uk has to take part in the european permanent three elections. if the extension could be extended third past the 31st of october, within the uk would really need a commissioner which is

something... remainers in the uk will be desperate to keep all these different legs of european power because as long as you still have them, you still have that option. the uk will have meps and this is the thing that michel barnier the eu's chief negotiator for brexit alongside mental background where he did not like an extension past the 30th ofjune did not like an extension past the 30th of june because did not like an extension past the 30th ofjune because he said once the uk has elected new me peas, they sit in the european apartment and they hold office for five years. so as long as they are there, they can keep extending and you do not need a commissioner to do that. you will have your seat in the european parliament. so we could be here repeatedly for many years to come. but of course, they would not choose to be this way. theresa may will be saying that we have this extension if we needed, but she is convinced that she won't and she will leave before the 30th ofjune and after she was say that sub is the first of october —— 31st of october is an

auspicious date. what will you be coming as? i will be a witch with a pointy stick. presumably, the pressure they will find some way to put pressure on the uk tonight before that date. they will not let this process, the 2—party negotiations continue aimlessly without some sort of an date. presume a way that is what thejune date is four to apply pressure. it's a ten to apply pressure. —— an attempt to abide pressure. but if it isjust some review attempt to abide pressure. but if it is just some review will thing, attempt to abide pressure. but if it isjust some review will thing, it doesn't apply pressure at all. and they cannot metal in the uk prospect of messing affairs and those who would want the european union because they metal, there are parts that they dictate, it's all the use that they dictate, it's all the use that come to decisions about life in the european union. in this case,

this is the uk deciding if there are cross—party talks, they decide when their cross—party talks cross—party talks, they decide when their cross— party talks and cross—party talks, they decide when their cross—party talks and there is nothing eu leaders can do about that and they are also very careful because they do not want to be seen to be exerting that kind of pressure on the uk when frankly it is none of their business. they then don't want to get any of the blame of that. this is their offer to the prime minister. but all 28 countries have to agree to it and by the way, that also means all 28 countries have to agree if this is terminated before the end of it. so it's not as if the eu, the 27 leaders can kick out the uk but halfway through this extension. if they don't like this are the don't like that because theresa may or the prime minister who ever it would be at that point would have to sign up to that as well. if there is a ratification of the withdrawal agreement and they found some way to get it through the parliament, the fact that europe is effectively taking a breather for five months, that would not hold up

the process, you would not be waiting until they commissioner is replaced, until the meps come back to parliament, you can crack on in may and june and be out byjune 30 if you got it through. absolutely. but as long as the uk is in, and has the right to take part in those decisions like electing the new chief of the european commission and that's what emmanuel macron wants to avoid. he worries about that, there is the budget coming up which needs approval. there is concern amongst member states what happens at the uk decides not to play nice if there is another prime minister after theresa may who wants to obstruct the workings of the eu? these are extreme concerns if you like amongst the leaders. but they have sort of fourth that out much themselves and can informally make these decisions and if the uk refuses to rectify them, they can actually ratify them after the uk has left. they are thinking along those purple well winds but if you talk to most diplomats, there was say "our assumption would be why would the uk behave in such a way? this is a

cautionary measure". but i will be interested to see when we see this black—and—white agreement, we are just pontificating, what sort of safeguard measures will they put in place was that what had they actually agreed on as the extension under these, and these actually agreed on as the extension underthese, and these in actually agreed on as the extension under these, and these in these conditions? i will be interested to see what they have is a good behaviour because if you like for the uk because that is something they were talking about subbing to stay with us, we will come back to that point. have a listen to the vice president of the european parliament. she was perfecting earlier on our programme on what was being decided here in brussels. earlier on our programme on what was being decided here in brusselslj suppose being decided here in brussels.” suppose a lot of us thought this might go into the night and it hasn't. i suppose that is good news that the leaders were able to come toa that the leaders were able to come to a decision about the extension to article 50 and in a way, it is somewhere in the middle between those who wish for a longer extension. it does also if you like to the prime minister who wanted june the 30th so we had that date in the text. we do not know the

conditions yet so i think it's too early to give a full assessment. but we did expect that the leaders would grant an extension. some wanted a longer period. we now know that it is to the end of october. and i think the leaders would have been focusing on what was best for the european union. clearly the prime minister has her own concerns and she brought those to the table. i dare say there was a lot of focus on what she said about the talks with the labour party. i was listening to some other broadcast this evening and it did not sound very hopeful about those talks coming to a good conclusion but one hopes that will change. so the end ofjune deadline i think you should focus the minds in the house of commons because ideally, and we would like to see some endgame here, some certainty. i think both the european parliament where i still am at one am. and i think with the commission. we still need to move away from brexit talks

because it is morning, noon and night. it is a big issue that must be dealt with but we have other things equally serious that need to be dealt with. and i think the leaders would be wanted to give the message that they want to move on, they want to deal with this difficult issue of brexodus, but we do need to get on with our business here andi do need to get on with our business here and i think that would have beena here and i think that would have been a top priority and i and i want to take into account a parliamentary elections here in may, it seems to be now that the united kingdom will ta ke be now that the united kingdom will take part in those elections. we will also be nominating a new commissioner at the end of this year. it could be interesting to see how the timeline work site with the october 31 deadline. i think we will still have to sleep on the decision tonight and maybe wake up in the morning, look at the implications and complications because there will be complications and see how this will eventually work through in terms of trying to get a conclusion to braxton at least to the divorce settlement because remember, that is only the beginning. we then have to talk about the future. the president

of the european parliament spoke before theresa may tonight and he adjust the 28. he had some fairly strong words because this is messy for the european parliament if as you presume the uk government is going to take the country towards these european elections and then there is this cut off injune that seems theresa may would very much like to be out of europe by the end ofjune. what happens mairead? because mps will be elected but there when i take their seats. whatever happens to the uk will be the snare and that will be very bizarre to put an effort into campaign and then to be frustrated and perhaps not sit in the european parliament, i don't know how that will work out in british politics. i think that the parties are already preparing candidate quests. i know colleagues here are expecting to run again. but remember there are implications for other member states like ireland for example. we had wee kly like ireland for example. we had weekly he redistributed some of the

seats that the united kingdom colleagues were leaving. ireland was to gain two extra seats. we have constituencies and new boundaries. i don't know what the invocations of this decision will be for elections in my own country and i am going back there tomorrow morning and we need to start a campaign myself. i know you look at it from the uk eyes, i look at it perhaps with both sets of eyes from the european parliament, from the uk position. whatever way we look at this, it's a bit of a mess and it has been a mess tragically since before the referendum was called and i hope, i just hope that out of tonight we can move onto our other european issues and that we can see some way for the united kingdom and the house of commons to to a consensus around the sort of brexit or indeed any brexit that they intend to deliver. mairead mcguinness with some important thoughts about the european elections and how it will affect her

own country ireland. you can hear the exasperation in her voice and the exasperation in her voice and the impatience with the uk side and katya, you are still with me. used do feel that in the building. braxton fatigue, all these people and journalists from the various countries. they are here for a special brexit summit, they are here again. they are not talking about migration, eu debt... and eu leaders promised that brexit would not summit —— hijacked the summit. but that will happen at the end ofjune because of the june summit. there is an october summit. and every time any of these politicians from the east states see me coming, i can see them, they want to run away. it's not because i am awful, is because they know i will ask about brexit. and everything is brexit. and the can has been kicked down the road again today. and you canjust can has been kicked down the road again today. and you can just say everyone is doing above why had they kicked it down the road? because

ultimately the eu will keep kicking the can down the road if the other alternative is a no—deal braxton sabella what if there is no reconciliation to brexit either? i have to say at this stage that what they were not talking about in there is wet us say no deal on friday because then parliament will go for a vote because we know parliament doesn't want a no—deal brexit. they could have tried that but they did not. most of those countries have had three years to get used today idea of brexit. they don't like the idea of brexit. they don't like the idea of brexit but they accept the idea of brexit but they accept the idea of brexit but they accept the idea of brexit. and they can see the united kingdom is a country completely divided. if the uk of its own flesh and changes its mind, great. but that's not something that they're pushing for here sub inc. you katya. she will be in the press conferences asking the difficult questions. we are waiting for those press co m es questions. we are waiting for those press comes this was of no teacher when they will be. we will stand somewhere in this building. theresa may walked in discussions with donald tusk but as soon as we see

them come will bring their reaction to you. but if details still to come here in brussels. stay with us. hello, no sign of spring warmth in the forecast. in fact the weekend is looking a bit colder. we'll take a look at that in just a moment. first of all, how thursday is shaping up. and talking about cold weather, widespread frost to begin the day but a fine day ahead for most places with some sunny spells. high pressure in control. at the moment that is blocking weather systems from coming our way from the atlantic. also, blocking mild air coming our way as well because the flow of air around the high pressure is bringing in this chilly breeze from the east and a chilly air with blue as thursday begins. widespread frost away from northern scotland along north sea coasts. either the breeze or cloud will hold temperatures above freezing. but there will be a good deal of sunshine in the day ahead. though for some of us perhaps not as much as we had on wednesday.

parts of eastern england will see a bit more cloud around. the weak weather front coast to scotland with cloud, a bit of patchy rain maybe later in the day, the odd heavy shower is possible. and plenty of cloud moving into northern ireland. it is an easterly breeze, for most of us it is light. it is going to pick up in the weekend. along that easterly breeze go that cloud coming in toward north sea coasts and the flow of air coming in from the sea, this is where we're adjusting into single figures. elsewhere in the range of 10—12 degrees and we could get some sunshine, it still doesn't feel too bad at this time of year. as we go through the night and into friday morning, some areas of cloud around. some clear spells but the clear weather isn't as widespread so the frost isn't as widespread going into friday morning. just pockets, more especially into parts of scotland and north—east england. temperatures a little bit higher as friday begins. and then on friday it looks like there will be a bit more cloud around generally. whilst most places will be staying dry, parts of scotland, maybe towards the north—east, could see a passing shower. and the cloud increasing

across east anglia into south—east england, you could get a few showers here later in the day. temperatures still pegged back into the single figures along north sea coasts and generally it feels a bit cooler on friday. the cooling trend continues further into the weekend. a battle taking place between low pressure in the atlantic trying to move in with milder air, the colder air from high pressure holding it at bay though over the weekend. so, it is going to stay mainly settled over the weekend. so, no rain showing up on the charts here but notice the temperatures edging down a degree or so and the breeze picking up as well. a rounded area of high pressure with stronger wind. dry for most, occasional sunshine, cloudier though by sunday, but a windier picture, especially in the west. and it is going to feel chilly in that wind.