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Prime Minister Boris Johnson
Photo: Daniel Leal-Olivas / AFP
Great Britain returns to the negotiating table in the dispute with the EU over Brexit.
The stopped talks would continue, said a spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
The Brexit transition phase, during which everything has largely remained the same, will end in just ten weeks.
London and Brussels are still wrestling with a trade pact from 2021. Without a contract, there are tariffs and other trade barriers.
This is likely to weigh heavily on the economy.
EU Council President Charles Michel had previously requested clarity from Great Britain about the intended trade pact after Brexit.
"Brexit means Brexit, (...) but Brexit also means making a decision," Michel said in the European Parliament on Wednesday.
"Britain has a big decision to make."
The EU wants an agreement, but not at any price.
It offers access to its internal market, but insists on fair competition.
London cannot have everything at once - access to the EU internal market and complete independence in setting standards and rules.
"We need solutions that are compatible with our principles," said Michel.
More soon at spiegel.de
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as / dpa / AFP