Just hours after the UK stepped up its preparations for a no-deal Brexit scenario, Brussels has today announced 14 temporary measures to try to reduce the impact.

The measures include British airlines to operate flights into and out of the EU – but not within it, limiting disruption to the City and hauliers, protecting citizens abroad and easing the impact on businesses.

The European Commission further said that the arrangements will be strictly time-limited, and will be ended without any consultation with the UK.

The Commission added: “These measures will not — and cannot — mitigate the overall impact of a no-deal scenario.”

With Brexit Day just 100 days away, the Commission stressed that it was “essential and urgent” to adopt its blueprint “today” to ensure the necessary contingency plans are in place in time.

“They are limited to specific areas where it is absolutely necessary to protect the vital interests of the EU and where preparedness measures on their own are not sufficient,” the commission said, adding: “As a rule, they will be temporary in nature, limited in scope and adopted unilaterally by the EU.”