European Parliament formally approves Brexit deal with UK

On January 29, the European Parliament officially approved the agreement between the UK and the European Union (EU) on the UK's exit from the EU, also known as Brexit.Britain will officially leave the EU on the night of January 31.

During the working session on January 29, a few days after the British Prime Minister and the President of the European Commission officially signed the agreement on Britain's exit from the EU, the European Parliament voted on this agreement.

The result was no surprise when European parliamentarians overwhelmingly approved the agreement, with 621 votes in favor, 49 against, and 13 abstentions. This was the final step in the ratification process, after about 3.5 years of intense discussions between the two sides.

Thus, the UK will officially leave the EU on the night of January 31, 2020, Belgian time. After that, the UK and the EU will enter a transition period lasting about 1 year, initially expected to end on December 31, 2020. During this time, the two sides will negotiate the future relationship, especially seeking a bilateral free trade agreement.

The January 29 session is also the last working session for the 73 British members of the European Parliament, along with their other colleagues. The term of these 73 members of the parliament will end at the same time that the UK officially leaves the EU.

Therefore, the session on January 29 took place with overflowing emotions, some MPs even burst into tears when having to say goodbye to the UK as well as their colleagues from the UK.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has expressed her support for British MPs. Others have said the vote is not about whether Britain should leave the EU, but about ensuring an orderly process and avoiding unintended consequences.

At the end of the vote, hundreds of European parliamentarians sang a traditional Scottish song, as an affirmation that despite the separation, the UK and the EU are not far apart./.