EU trade director-general Sabine Weyand acknowledged that “UK does not intend to go for an extension of the transition” and EU needs to be prepared for that. She added, “that means in the negotiations we have to look at those issues where failing to reach an agreement by 2020 would lead to another cliff-edge situation.”
Weyand also said EU is ready to start negotiations very quickly after UK leaves EU at the end of January. But she also emphasized, “the ambition for duty-free, quota-free trade under a free-trade agreement has to come accompanied by a level playing field.” European Commission is due today afternoon to brief EU27 countries on its work program for the negotiations.
