EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier in London on February 5, 2018. (Photo: AFP)

After talks with Prime Minister Theresa May and Brexit Minister David Davis on Monday, Barnier repeated that the EU needs clarity on what Britain wants from the future relationship. He said without a customs union and outside the single market, barriers to trade and goods and services are “unavoidable”, and the time has come to make a choice. Davis said he is confident that Britain can reach a political agreement on a time-limited transition period before the economic council meeting scheduled for March 13.

A spokesperson for the UK Prime Minister dismissed the possibility of Britain staying in the customs union or the common market of the EU following Brexit. Britain and the EU restart Brexit negotiations on Tuesday in Brussels.