EU says Brexit transition to end by 31 December 2020

A "transition period" after the UK leaves the EU should not continue beyond 31 December 2020, Brussels says.

The UK has said the temporary arrangement should last for about two years after Brexit in March 2019.
Terms of the transition period, which the UK calls an implementation phase, have yet to be negotiated between the two sides.

The EU says the UK will have to continue to follow its rules and cannot adopt an "a la carte" approach.
It has just published its guidelines for the next phase of Brexit negotiations.

These talks will initially focus on agreeing the precise terms of the transition phase, before moving on to the UK and EU's long-term future relationship.
  BBC
 20/12/17