From the Centre for European Reform, this is the CER podcast.

It is a critical moment.

If we do not act with urgency, we would then severely undermine the liberal order.

Brexit means Brexit, and we're going to make a success of it.

The wind is back in Europe's sales.

We have now a window of opportunity, but it will not stay open forever.

Hello and welcome to this Centre for European Reform podcast. I'm Charles Grant, the director of the CER, and with my colleague Sam Lowe, who's a senior research fellow at the CR who specialises in trade issues.

And we're going to talk today a bit about Brexit, the subject that everybody's forgotten about because COVID-19 is so much more important.

But Brexit can't be ignored completely. Britain is on, has

already left the EU and it's on course to leave the EU's laws and rules and regulations at the

end of this year when the transitional arrangements end. My colleague Sam has just published

a new CER insight about 2,000 words on why he believes the transitional arrangement should be extended

as the withdrawal agreement does allow after December 2020. The withdrawal agreement is quite clear

that both sides have to agree to an extension. It can be for up to two years. And the EU side is

very clear that they can't bend the rule.

So if in come November, just before we're due to and leave the transition, suddenly

Britain says, well, actually, we haven't finished the deal.

Can we have a bit longer to stay in the single market to minimize disruption, stay in the

customs unit for a few months?

He will say no.

There is a question as to whether the EU may or may not agree to some

sort of minimum arrangements to minimise disruption if the formal transition is extended. But in any case,

...