EU says Britain must respect withdrawal pact, deal or no deal

FILE PHOTO: European Commissioner for Inter-institutional Relations and Foresight Maros Sefcovic addresses lawmakers during a plenary session of Work Programme 2021 at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium October 20, 2020. Francisco Seco/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Britain must implement the Withdrawal Agreement on its exit from the European Union, regardless of the outcome of ongoing trade talks between the two sides, a senior European Commissioner said on Wednesday.

"Deal or no deal, the Withdrawal Agreement must be respected," European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic told the European Parliament.