European Union’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier has said on Tuesday that Britain has become more likely to leave the bloc without Prime Minister Theresa May’s divorce deal.
While stating that the bloc was ready to accept Britain staying with the EU’s customs union or ties similar to the one which the EU has with Norway, Barnier said, “Over the last days a no-deal scenario has become more likely, but we can still hope to avoid it.”
While addressing an event in Brussels after the UK lawmakers rejected all four alternatives to May’s Brexit deal through voting, Barnier said the UK now had only three options before the April 12 deadline for leaving the bloc, according to Reuters news reports.
He said, “The UK should now indicate the way forward or indicate a plan. More today than ever.”
He added Britain could still accept the stalled agreement, reiterating that it was “the only way” for the UK to leave the bloc in an orderly way. Other alternatives are no-deal Brexit or a long delay of Britain’s departure from the bloc, he said.
He said Brexit extension would involve organizing European parliament elections in May in the UK and London naming its representatives for the fresh European commission.
Barnier said, “Being prepared for no-deal doesn’t mean that everything will be smooth. There will be disruptions, there will be problems. Being prepared means all unforeseen disruptions could be managed by the EU.
European leaders including May are scheduled to hold a meeting on April 10 in order to decide the next steps.
He has also said the EU will not the already-agreed divorce agreement with the UK if May’s Brexit is delayed again, further adding London would not receive a transition period unless it accepts the deal.
Barnier told a think-tank debate: “During that extension, there will be no renegotiation of the agreement. There will be no negotiations on future relations. We cannot negotiate with a member state on future relations – there is no legal right to do that.”
“If there is no deal, there is no transition,” he added. “It is the only deal possible to organize the withdrawal in an orderly manner,” Barnier said, according to Reuters news reports.