European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed her concern in an interview with French daily Les Echos that the United Kingdom and European Union will not be able to complete all the required agreements for the UK's exit from the European Union
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th December, 2019) European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed her concern in an interview with French daily Les Echos that the United Kingdom and European Union will not be able to complete all the required agreements for the UK's exit from the European Union.UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson made an amendment to his Brexit Withdrawal Agreement Bill which rules out any possible extension to the transition period, due to end on December 31, 2020. Johnson's bill passed its second reading in the House of Commons last week.
"I am very worried about the limited amount of time we have available. We have to negotiate many other issues, not just a free trade agreement. In my opinion, both sides should ask themselves if all of these negotiations are possible in such a short period of time," von der Leyen said.
The European Commission president outlined that she disagreed with Johnson's decision to prohibit any further extension. The UK has already made three requests to extend Brexit amid political infighting under the previous parliament.
"I believe it would be reasonable to assess the progress in the middle of the year and agree on an extension of the transition period, if necessary," the president added.
The UK voted to leave the European Union in a June 2016 referendum. Former Prime Minister Theresa May triggered Article 50 in March 2017, which initially gave the UK two years to conclude a deal with the European Union.
Upon taking office in July, Johnson has been committed to completing Brexit negotiations. The UK has until January 31 to agree the terms of withdrawal with the European Union. If this is agreed, a transition period to give both parties time to conclude a trade deal will run until December 31 next year.
