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Added on the 24/04/2019 16:39:45 - Copyright : AFPTV - First images
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon postpones plans for a second independence referendum, after a British general election in which her secessionist party suffered major losses. SOUNDBITE
President of the European Council Donald Tusk declared that the UK will not be allowed to access the EU single market without accepting the freedom of movement of citizens, during a press conference in Brussels on Wednesday. "There will be no single market a la carte," he stressed. The announcement comes after all the EU leaders met for the first time since the British referendum result last Friday.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel stated that the UK will lose access to the EU's single market if it doesn't accept EU rules on the freedom of movement, during a press conference following a European Council emergency meeting on Brexit in Brussels, Wednesday.
French President Francois Hollande said the UK must accept several preconditions if it is to access the single market following any exit from the European Union, during a press conference held in Brussels on Wednesday. Hollande also suggested the UK would have to pay direct costs to the EU, similar to Norway, in order to access the single market. The French president also ruled out any "prenegotiation" period, urging the new UK Conservative government to trigger Article 50 as soon as possible.
President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker met with First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon in Brussels on Wednesday, as the European Council emergency meeting on the 'Brexit' issue takes place in the Belgian capital. Relations between Scotland and the EU, the 'Brexit' result, as well as the possibility of a second referendum on Scotland’s independence from the UK were expected to top the agenda of the meeting.