BRITAIN'S move to Brexit is the biggest disaster to hit the EU in its entire 59-year history - with the road ahead unclear.

No country has ever left the bloc before, with the UK officially the first.

The rules for departure are contained in a section of the Treaty of Lisbon, known as Article 50, and are very brief.

David Cameron will be replaced with a new Prime Minister in October, at the start of the Conservative Party autumn conference, who will have the task of triggering Brexit.

The EU has already insisted Britain activates Article 50 and starts its talks "as soon as possible".

But it will take a minimum of two years for the UK to leave, and during that time Britain must still bide by its treaties and laws - however it cannot take part in any EU decision making.

Tomorrow, the foreign ministers of the founding six member states - France, Germany, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Italy and Belgium - will meet to discuss the implications of the vote.

David Cameron will next see his counterparts at a European Council summit on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Whenever Article 50 is triggered, formally notifying that intention to withdraw, a two-year clock starts.

After that the Treaties governing our membership will no longer apply to Britain. The terms of exit will be negotiated between Britain's 27 counterpart nations and each will have a veto over the conditions.

In the meantime, Britain must undergo the massive process of thrashing out its departure terms from everything to trade, the freedom of movement, financial regulations and much more.

It means Britain should formally be out of the EU by the middle of 2018 - but it could take longer.

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