EU's Moscovici sees no further negotiations on Brexit deal

EUropean Union's (EU) Economic Commissioner Pierre Moscovici on Wednesday said further negotiations on amicable Britain's divorce from the EU by the end of March were not in sight, telling the British "it's time to say what they want" after they rejected a Brexit deal.

In an interview with state-run France 2 television, Moscovici, former French economy minister, said that Britain had lost "its last chance" after its legislators on Tuesday rejected for a second time Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit agreement, increasing uncertainty about how the country will leave the EU.

"There will be no negotiations in the coming days and by March 29. Now, there is another deadline which is a EUropean Council meeting on March 21 and 22 and which may have to decide on an extension," he said.

"To extend (divorce talks), why not ... but the question is to extend in what conditions and for what to do," he added.

Moscovici stressed that the EU "has done everything it could to offer solutions, guarantee, ensure, reassure", calling on the British to say what they want after they had spoken out about what they opposed.

The commissioner noted that "after what happened yesterday, the risk of no-deal increases sharply. That's not what we want, but we prepare it."

With her Brexit deal rejected again in the parliament, May faces a possible defeat on a second vote on Wednesday to prevent an exit from the EU in two weeks without an accord.

British lawmakers are due to vote on Thursday, if the no-deal Brexit were blocked, on whether to extend the Article 50 divorce process, likely until the end of June.