European Union leaders have agreed to grant British Prime Minister Theresa May a Brexit delay until the end of October.
European Council President Donald Tusk and and Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May in Brussels on Wednesday. Photo: AFP
The decision came at an EU summit which had been discussing Mrs May's request to move the exit date from Friday to 30 June.
Mrs May spoke for about an hour at the summit, before leaving the room to leave the EU leaders to discuss her request.
The summit chair, European Council President Donald Tusk, then went to brief Mrs May on the outcome of the meeting and seek her necessary agreement to a final deal.
Reuters reports French President Emmanuel Macron told the summit a delay beyond 30 June would jeopardise the EU.
Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat tweeted that a Brexit extension until 31 October was "sensible since it gives time to UK to finally choose its way."
British Prime Minister Theresa May, left, arrives for the EU summit. Photo: Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
Ahead of the summit, Mr Tusk said "neither side should be allowed to feel humiliated" and urged the other 27 leaders to back a flexible extension of up to a year.
In order to continue as an EU member beyond 1 June, Mrs May has agreed to organise British elections to the European Parliament on 23 May, though it was still unclear if that vote will go ahead and how far it might turn into a virtual second referendum on EU membership.
The agreement mean Britain will not crash out of the bloc on Friday and will give Mrs May more than the three months she had asked for to build a parliamentary majority behind the withdrawal treaty she negotiated with the EU last year.
-Reuters / BBC