The British government have formally informed the EU that the UK is will leave the bloc at the end of this year and have rejected the Brexit transition extension.
Brussels was told on Friday by Michael Gove that the UK will not be extending the Brexit transition, and Britain will regain its sovereignty from the EU.
He said, “We have informed the EU today that we will not extend the transition period. The moment for extension has now passed.
“At the end of the year we will control our own laws and borders, which is why we are able to take the sovereign decision to introduce arrangements in a way that gives businesses impacted by coronavirus time to adjust.
“Today’s announcement is an important step towards getting the country ready for the end of the transition period, but there is still more work to be done by both government and industry to ensure we are ready to see the opportunities of being a fully independent United Kingdom.”
The EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier has now conceded a trade deal will now have to be in place before the year is out.
Barnier said, “The EU has always been open to an extension of the transition period.
“At today’s Joint Committee, we took note of the UK’s decision not to extend.
“We must now make progress on substance. To give every chance to the negotiations, we agreed to intensify talks in the next weeks and months.”
European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic added, “Gove was very clear, unequivocal, on the fact that the UK is not going to seek an extension.
“We take this decision as a definitive one, and therefore are pleading for acceleration on work on all fronts.”
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