EU Waiting For Next UK Steps After Lawmakers Put Brexit Bill In Limbo

BRUSSELS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd October, 2019) The European Commission expects the UK government to inform it about the next steps after the British parliament rejected a tight schedule on the Brexit bill.

The House of Commons first passed the withdrawal bill by a slim majority, allowing it to move to the next phase of debates, but voted to scrutinize it past this Thursday's deadline proposed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, causing him to pause the legislation.

"EU Commission takes note of tonight's result and expects the U.K. government to inform us about the next steps," Mina Andreeva, the spokeswoman for the European Union's executive body, tweeted.

She added that European Council President Donald Tusk was consulting EU leaders on the UK parliament's request for an extension to the exit process until January 31 next year.

Johnson said in parliament that he next planned to speak to the EU member states about whether they were going to grant his country that delay, which he personally disapproves of. Debates on his Brexit deal will remain frozen until the European Union makes its decision known.