World Bulletin / News Desk

The EU adopted red lines Monday for a transition period that binds Britain by the bloc's laws for nearly two years after Brexit without having any policy-making power.

European affairs ministers took just two minutes to green-light instructions for the EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier on the transition, which the bloc wants to run from March 29, 2019 -- when Britain leaves the EU -- until December 31, 2020.

Barnier's deputy Sabine Weyand said a meeting of European affairs ministers in Brussels "adopts guidelines for Brexit negotiations within two minutes: status quo transition without institutional representation, lasting... to 31 December 2020".

The so-called negotiating directives say Britain would retain access to the EU's single market during that time, but in return must follow EU rules "as if it were a member state", without any voting rights.