After Brexit: UK leaves EU but what's next far from certain

U.K. is quitting a 28-nation bloc of almost half a billion people which for deces has helped set rules for U.K. tre, farming, environmental protection and much more. break comes at 11 p.m. London time (2300 GMT, 6 p.m. EDT) Friday.

Here's a look at what happens next.

WHAT WILL CHANGE?

Most people in Britain and EU will tice little change this year.

two sides negotiated a divorce deal that includes an 11-month “transition period,” in which relations will stay essentially unchanged. U.K. will continue to follow EU rules, although it will longer have a say in EU decision-making.

Citizens of all both Britain and 27 EU countries can continue to travel, work and live anywhere across that territory for rest of year, and U.K. businesses effectively remain part of EU’s single market for goods and services.

Some people will be affected immediately, however. Beginning Saturday,

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Britain’s departure on Friday marks end of st one of Brexit: amicable divorce.

Next comes bit that may be even trickier: forging a new relationship. That means a tre deal, but also agreements covering everything from security to telecoms policy. two sides have agreed to strike an “ambitious, bro, deep and flexible partnership,” including a free tre deal, by Dec. 31.

Britain and EU will set out ir initial positions within days, although in-depth negotiations are t due to begin until March.

WHAT ARE TRICKY AREAS?

two sides are starting out with firm positions that appear to set m on a collision course.

Britain says it wants a “Cana-style” free tre agreement with EU covering both goods and services. But it is amant it won’t agree to follow EU’s rule book in return for unfettered tre, because it wants to be free to diverge in order to strike or new deals around world.

bloc insists re can be tre deal unless Britain agrees to a “level playing field” and does t undercut EU regulations.

One likely conflict point is fishing. Taking back control of U.K. waters for U.K. fishermen is a totemic issue for Brexiteers. But bloc could make getting a deal in or areas, such as financial services— which is a much larger slice of British ecomy — contingent on allowing EU fishing boats continued access to U.K. waters.

two sides also need to talk about security cooperation, to ensure re are gaps in efforts to fight terrorism, trafficking, money-laundering or cross-border crime.

Sealing a deal will require compromises and tre-offs -- but for w both sides are talking tough.

WHAT HAPPENS IN 2021?

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EU is willing to extend Britain's transition period for up to two years if a tre agreement hasn’t been reached, but Conservative British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he won’t agree to that. U.K. government insists 11 months is ample time to seal a deal, but EU points out that such agreements typically take years.

EU-Cana deal that British government cites as a model took seven years to negotiate.

If re is deal by end of 2020, and U.K. refuses to extend negotiating period, Britain faces an abrupt, disruptive ecomic break from bloc — with tariffs and or obstacles to tre imposed immediately between U.K. and EU. That would likely bring severe ecomic disruptions, pound would plunge and Britain could tip into recession. Limits or holes in cross-border security efforts could even allow gangs or terrorists to flourish.

If time is running out, two sides may agree to strike a bare-bones tre deal, with plenty of gaps to be filled in later.