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European Council     15/11/2018  Remarks by President Donald Tusk after his meeting with Brexit EU Chief negotiator Michel Barnier I took good note of Prime Minister May's statement yesterday. Of course, I don't share the Prime Minister's enthusiasm about Brexit as such. Since the very beginning, we have had no doubt that Brexit is a lose-lose situation, and that our negotiations are only about damage control. Given these extremely difficult circumstances, I would like to thank Michel Barnier and his team, especially Sabine Weyand and Stéphanie Riso, for doing this exceptionally hard work. Michel, we all put a lot of trust in you, and rightly so. You have achieved our two most important objectives. First, you ensured the limitation of the damage caused by Brexit and, second, you secured the vital interests and principles of the 27 member states, and of the European Union as a whole. If I weren't confident that you did your best to protect the interests of the twenty‑seven, and I am familiar with the essence of the document, I would not propose to formalise this deal. In the next days, we will proceed as follows. The agreement is now being analysed by all the member states. By the end of this week, the EU27 ambassadors will meet in order to share their assessment of the agreement. I hope that there will not be too many comments. They will also discuss the mandate for the Commission to finalise the Joint Political Declaration about the future relations between the EU and the UK. The European ministers will be involved in this process. The Commission intends to agree the declaration about the future with the UK by Tuesday. Over the following 48 hours, the member states will have time to evaluate it, which means that the EU27 Sherpas should conclude this work on Thursday. Then, if nothing extraordinary happens, we will hold a European Council meeting, in order to finalise and formalise the Brexit agreement. It will take place on Sunday 25th November at 9:30. Finally, let me say this to our British friends. As much as I am sad to see you leave, I will do everything to make this farewell the least painful possible, both for you and for us. Council of the European Union     15/11/2018  Declaration of HR Federica Mogherini on behalf of the EU on EU-Tanzania relations For many decades, the European Union and its Member States have enjoyed close and fruitful relations with the United Republic of Tanzania and have been its main development partner and one of its top trade and investment partners. This partnership, which has also found expression in a common involvement in peace promotion, effective multilateralism and regional integration, must build on reciprocal trust, and be rooted in fundamental values such as democracy, human rights and the rule of law. In this respect, the EU and its Member States are concerned about recent political developments in Tanzania. Over the past years, the European Union and its Member States have noticed a shrinking of public space in Tanzania through the tightening of restrictions on the activities of civil society organisations, the media and many political parties. Respect for human rights and the rule of law has been repeatedly undermined. The EU is deeply concerned about the deteriorating situation for LGBTI persons. In this context, the Tanzanian authorities have consistently increased their pressure on the EU Ambassador. This eventually led to his forced departure and recall for consultations. This unprecedented attitude is not in line with the long established tradition of bilateral dialogue and consultation between the two parties, which the EU deeply regrets. The EU calls on Tanzanian authorities to refrain from exerting undue pressure and limitations on diplomatic missions. Taking into account all these elements, the European Union and its Member States have decided to conduct a comprehensive review of its policies towards the United Republic of Tanzania. They will maintain engagement with actors from all spheres of political, economic, social and cultural life, including civil society, and resume the structured political dialogue with the Tanzanian government once the review of the relationship has been completed,  in view of resetting our bonds on a more trustful and forward-looking basis. The EU and its Member States remain committed to a sound relationship with a stable, democratic and inclusive Tanzania, fully involved in the regional integration process.