The European Commission decided on Wednesday that the U.K. still needs to pay $39 billion in financial settlements even if it leaves the European Union (EU) minus a deal.
The Telegraph reported that Britain has agreed to pay the billion-dollar Brexit bill that would cover liabilities and required budget payments. The said amount is expected to give British officials the means to further communicate with the EU regarding the country's relationship with other members of the union even after Britain leaves.
On Wednesday's meeting, the Commission unsealed plans for a no-deal Brexit, stating that "all commitments taken by the 28 Member States should be honored by the 28 Member States. This is also true in a "no-deal" scenario, where the UK would be expected to continue to honor all commitments made during EU membership."
These statements came after EU leaders united to stop Britain's efforts in negotiating potential changes to the Brexit deal. Some experts believe that the bid for changes may be a little too late ever since Prime Minister Theresa May's deal was rejected by a huge margin.
May has admitted that her government has not come up with a deal change that will address issues related to the Irish border. Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney echoed May's sentiments. "We are quite simply running out of the road," he said.
The European Union has previously warned against changes but according to CBC News, British lawmakers, on Tuesday's conference, agreed to send PM May back to Brussels for further negotiations. For some EU leaders, the vote only added fuel to the fire.
Jean-Claude Juncker, chief of the union's executive body, reiterated that the initial Brexit agreement will not be changed. Other EU members have also voted against renegotiation talks.
German government spokesperson Steffen Seibert pointed out that negotiating for the Brexit deal is not part of the plan while Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar explained that the EU has gone through the same path before. Varadkar added that he thinks there are no alternatives to the initial withdrawal agreement.
Earlier this month, the British parliament rejected May's plan for the British exit bound to take place on March 29. MPs voted 432 to 202, in what could be the most historical defeat that any PM has experienced in the U.K.'s government.
It took May around two years to draft the Brexit deal she presented on January 15. The British parliament has yet to convince the European Commission that a change is necessary before Britain walks out of the union in less than two months.
