The 27 European Union member states have approved guidelines for the UK's future relationship with the bloc post-Brexit. In a statement, the European Council said it was ready to begin free trade agreement talks, but reiterated the deal could not have "the same benefits as membership and cannot amount to participation in the single market". It also warned that Britain would need to "maintain its own regulatory framework on goods from outside the EU" if it wanted access to EU markets.
The 27 European Union member states have approved guidelines for the UK's future relationship with the bloc post-Brexit. In a statement, the European Council said it was ready to begin free trade agreement talks, but reiterated the deal could not have "the same benefits as membership and cannot amount to participation in the single market". Among the many issues still to be resolved is the question of the Irish border, which the 1999 Good Friday Agreement specifies must remain open.