"It is absolutely clear that there will be negative consequences." Michel Barnier, the European Union negotiator in charge of the Brexit file, warned bluntly on Monday 27 January that the divorce between the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom would not be without consequences.

On the move to the Irish Republic of Ireland, then to the British province of Northern Ireland, earlier this week, the former European Commissioner warned that a new difficult phase would open after the official Brexit .

"Whatever agreement we reach on our future relationship, Brexit will always be an operation to limit the damage," he said in a speech at Queen's University in Belfast.

The UK's exit from the European Union on Friday at 11 p.m. GMT will not mean the end of the crisis opened by the 2016 referendum. It will mark the start of a current transition until the end of the year.

During this period, EU rules will continue to apply on British territory and London and the 27 will have to define the terms of their relations in multiple areas, trade and security in particular.

"We have to face the risk of being on the brink"

"We have to rebuild everything," said Michel Barnier at a press conference in Dublin, where he met with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar. "At the end of the year (...), if we do not agree, it will not be the usual routine and the status quo," he continued. "We have to face the risk of being on the brink, especially regarding trade."

In the absence of a commercial agreement, economic relations between Brussels and London would be governed by the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO), which are much less advantageous because they fix customs duties for goods.

Michel Barnier also stressed that the two parties have "very little time" to complete during the transition period, which runs until the end of 2020, as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants.

Michel Barnier said he would present a draft negotiating mandate to member states next Monday, after the divorce agreement which regulates the terms of separation.

The European mandate should be approved at ministerial level by February 25, according to European officials, allowing talks to start around March 1.

With AFP

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