European Commission To Launch New Service For EU-UK Agreements On March 1

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th January, 2021) The European Commission is to launch the Service for the EU-UK Agreements on March 1 to oversee the implementation of the post-Brexit future partnership agreement reached by Brussels and London in late December.

The new body is set to replace the Task Force for Relations with the United Kingdom, which was established to facilitate the Brexit negotiations, the European Commission said in a press release on Tuesday.

"To support the efficient and rigorous implementation and monitoring of the Agreements with the UK, the European Commission has decided to establish a new Service for the EU-UK Agreements (UKS). The UKS will be part of the presidential services' Secretariat-General and will be operational as of 1 March 2021," the press release read.

European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic has been appointed to represent the bloc as co-chair in the joint Partnership Council established as a result of the future partnership agreement, the bloc said.

Additionally, the EU's top Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, has been appointed as a special adviser to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, according to the press release.

The United Kingdom left the European Union on January 31, triggering an 11-month transition period that concluded at the end of 2020.

After months of negotiations, London and Brussels finally agreed on a wide-ranging future partnership agreement, which includes a comprehensive trade deal, on December 24.