British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it was time for the UK to “prepare” for the possibility that there would be no free trade agreement with the European Union (EU) on 1 January. Cited by Sky News, the ruler claimed this Friday that Brussels “abandoned” ambition. “We always knew there would be changes” next year, with the end of the transition period after Brexit, “whatever the type of relationship” the country has with the community bloc, he insisted.
At the end of an EU summit that both parties defined as the deadline for the definition of a trade agreement, Johnson stressed that he is not completely out of the negotiations. “What we are telling them is that they come here, come to us if there is a substantial change in approach”, he defined.
From Downing Street, the head of the British government said that “there does not appear to be any progress coming from Brussels”. In this sense, he warned companies and carriers to prepare for a scenario without an agreement, adding that they should “embrace the alternative” of “open hearts”.
At the same time, Johnson assured that the UK “will prosper tremendously”.
With the UK leaving the EU on 31 January this year, the country entered the transition period. During that period, which ends on 31 December, the United Kingdom follows many of the same rules as the 27 Member States, in particular with regard to trade, tariffs and freedom of movement.
So far, London and Brussels have not reached an understanding for a trade agreement that was due to enter into force on the first day of 2021.
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