Brexit set to begin as bill enters final stages

LONDON: Prime Minister Theresa May is expected to trigger Brexit this week by formally informing the European Union of Britain's intention to leave the bloc, sending her country into uncharted waters.

The legislation empowering May to put Britain on a course that no member state has ever taken returns to parliament for its final stages on Monday as European capitals prepare for mammoth negotiations.

After heated debate and a delay in the upper House of Lords, the bill could win final approval by both Houses by Monday evening -- leaving May's path clear to begin Brexit whenever she wants.

The prime minister promised months ago to invoke Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty, starting the two-year withdrawal process, by the end of March.

Last week she expressed her impatience, telling reporters at a Brussels summit: "Our European partners have made clear to me that they want to get on with the negotiations, and so do I."

Irish premier Enda Kenny revealed at the same summit that the EU was preparing for Article 50 from Wednesday, while Britain's opposition Labour party has also spoken of Wednesday or Thursday.

Once May has notified the EU of her decision by letter, the other 27 EU leaders will take some 48 hours to issue their first draft proposal for the negotiations but talks are not actually expected to begin for months as both sides finalise strategies.

EU leaders have planned a follow-up meeting on April 6, "provided that the prime minister moves Article 50, I think by March 15th", Kenny said.

Triggering Article 50 this week would put Britain on course to leave the European Union by March 2019 -- a prospect that has caused concern about the future of European unity in some capitals.

But unravelling four decades of membership and forging new trade ties to replace Britain's membership of the single market within two years will be fiendishly complex.

EU leaders are determined that Brexit will not undermine the unity of the bloc, and that the final terms do not encourage other member states to follow Britain.

There have already been sharp exchanges, although European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker voiced hope that Britain would one day return.

"I would like to be in the same boat as the British. The day will come when the British will re-enter the boat, I hope," he said last week.