Earlier Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that the UK would then leave the European Union, but not Europe
The UK will not only leave the EU, but the whole of Europe if negotiations on new relationships after the kingdom leaves the community fail. This was announced on Monday by Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn on his arrival at the EU Council meeting in Brussels.
“Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that Britain will leave the EU, but not Europe. If the UK is to blame for the failure of negotiations now, then the UK will de facto leave Europe”, – he said.
According to Asselborn, the EU is offering London a fair and ambitious agreement. “Our proposal is honest and ambitious. I hope that he will deliver on his promise (to leave the EU, but not Europe)”, – he added.
The UK left the EU on the night of 1 February 2020 after three years of negotiating the terms of withdrawal. Brussels and London have agreed on a transition period until the end of this year, during which the UK is subject to all European rules, including trading under the Single European Market. Until the end of the transition period, which the British Government has refused to extend, the parties must agree on the format of future relations and conclude a free trade agreement.
At the end of 2019, UK and EU trade volume was approximately $900 billion. If an agreement that sets out the new rules of trade cannot be concluded, the parties will start trading under the rules of the World Trade Organisation, using all duties and quotas, once the transition period (31 December 2020) has ended.