All EU Rules to Apply During Brexit ‘Transition Period’, ‘Divorce Bill’ Linked to Trade Deal

BRUSSELS (AP) — The Latest on Brexit (all times local):

6:25 p.m.

Britain says that any commitment toward outstanding payments into the EU budget will have to be clearly linked to a future political and trade relationship once the nation has officially left the group.

U.K. chief negotiator David Davis promised that Britain “will honor commitments we have made during the period of our membership” but added it could “only be done in the context of an in accordance with a new deep and special partnership.”

The EU has been insisting their needs to be “sufficient progress” on Britain’s outstanding financial commitments to the EU before any new relationship can be discussed.

Estimates of the amounts Britain would still have to pay the EU have diverged wildly from some 20 billion euros to 100 billion euros.

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5:50 p.m.

The European Union’s chief Brexit negotiator says that EU rules will apply without exception during any eventual transition period after Britain officially leaves the bloc in 2019.

Michel Barnier said Monday that “the totality of the EU regulations, the enforcement, the financial conditions, supervision — all that will be maintained during this period, without exception.”

His remarks came after he informed EU ministers about the state of Brexit talks and minutes before he launched into a fourth round of negotiations in Brussels.

British Prime Minister Theresa May called Friday for a two-year transition period after her country leaves on March 29, 2019.