Trucks at Dover port, UK, Feb. 1, 2020 (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)

A vote of 579 to 24 endorsed the general lines of a mandate whose details are about to be finalized by the European Commission ahead of negotiations to begin next month. The talks aim to work out the future relationship between the EU and Britain following the latter's exit from the EU two weeks ago.

Currently, a transition period running to the end of the year lets Britain operate almost like an EU member state while the negotiations take place.