EU team to start work on post-Brexit ties with UK on Nov 16

The European Commission team in charge of negotiating the divorce deal for Britain's withdrawal from the EU will become the "Task Force for Relations with the United Kingdom" and is due to start work on Nov. 16, the Commission said on Tuesday. The task force will begin its work regardless of developments in the United Kingdom, the Commission said.

The task force, which will continue to be headed by the EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, will finalise the divorce talks, be in charge of the Commission's preparations for a "no-deal" and the future relationship with the UK. "Once the Withdrawal Agreement is ratified by the UK Parliament, and the European Parliament has given its consent, the EU is ready to immediately kick off work leading to negotiations on our future relationship with the UK, in full respect of European Council guidelines," the Commission said in a statement.

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