The European Union’s chief negotiator says the bloc is preparing for the possible collapse of Brexit negotiations with Britain and is making contingency plans in this regard.
Michel Barnier made the remarks while talking to French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche on Sunday, days after giving the UK a two-week deadline to clarify its position on key issues.
He said that the failure of negotiations was a “possibility” but went on to clarify that he did not want such an outcome.
“It’s a possibility. Everyone needs to plan for it, member states and businesses alike. We too are making technical preparations for it. On March 29, 2019, the United Kingdom will become a third country,” he told the newspaper.
“A failure of the negotiations would have consequences on multiple domains,” he added.
Last Friday, Barnier told the UK that it had just two weeks to make its position clear on the Brexit divorce bill or the EU could block a…