Citation :
Boris Johnson will tell European Union leaders on Monday that they must conclude Brexit talks by autumn "at the latest" to give certainty to companies affected by the UK's exit from the European Union. The Prime Minister, his chief Brexit negotiator David Frost, and the Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove are due to hold "high-level talks" with Charles Michel, the President of the European Council, Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, and David Sassoli, the President of the European Parliament. The Prime Minister will make clear that the UK will be prepared to leave the EU "whatever happens" at the end of the 11-month implementation period on Dec 31, which followed the UK's exit on Jan 31 this year. Last week the UK formally told the EU that it would not be seeking an extension to the Brexit implementation period at the end of this year. Raoul Ruperel, a former special adviser to the PM on Europe, told The Telegraph that without any movement on fishing, a level playing field and state aid rules "there is real risk the negotiations, even with an increased pace, struggle to make any breakthroughs. Which would increase the risk of there being no agreement at the end of the year".
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