Great Britain officially confirmed today to the European Union that it does not want to extend the transition period that expires at the end of December and during which the two sides should agree on their relations after Brexit.
The two sides are due to hold a virtual mini-summit on Monday dedicated to those talks.
"I have officially confirmed that Great Britain will not extend the transition period, and the moment to ask for an extension has now passed," British minister Michael Gove said on Twitter after a video meeting with the European Commission's vice-president in charge of institutional relations, Maroš Šefčovič.
"On January 1, 2021, we will take control and regain our political and economic independence," Gov added.
Great Britain left the EU on January 31, and since then it has been negotiating with Brussels about the future economic relations between the two sides when the transition period expires at the end of the year, but those negotiations are currently blocked.
The British government can ask for an extension of the negotiation period on the condition that it does so by the end of June, but it has always rejected that option, which it confirmed today.
Maroš Šefčovič told reporters that Michael Gove "couldn't have been more clear" and that he understands that as the definitive conclusion of that discussion.
The European negotiator, Michel Barnier, wrote on Twitter that he had taken note of the British decision not to extend the negotiations beyond the end of the year, and wrote that progress should now be made on the substance of the issue.
A virtual summit meeting is scheduled for Monday between British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European officials. New rounds of negotiations on the future relations of the two parties are scheduled for July, August and September.
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