Britain has set a hard deadline of December 2020 to reach a new trade deal with the European Union, betting that the prospect of another Brexit cliff-edge would force Brussels to move more quickly than usual to seal an accord. Johnson will use his control of parliament to outlaw any extension of the Brexit transition period beyond 2020 - his boldest move since winning a large majority in last Thursday's election and one that spooked financial markets.
In Brussels, officials said the timetable was "rigid" and likely to limit the scope of any deal.
"We haven't even started those negotiations but this provides for a very rigid time frame, which reflects that certain things will be out of reach," EU Commission vice president Valdis Dombrovskis said.
Sabine Weyand, director-general of the EU's trade department, told a European Policy Centre think tank seminar that negotiations would have to focus on those issues vital to prevent "another cliff-edge situation".
Weyand said the European Commission, which coordinates trade policy for EU countries, was ready to start negotiations very quickly after Britain formally left the EU at the end of January and was very clear about its priorities.
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