EU bids adieu to Britain with removal of flags

(Bloomberg) -- When the sun goes down on Friday night, British government buildings around Europe will lower the blue and yellow-starred flag of the European Union for the final time. Neither the British government nor the EU wants to draw too much attention to the moment of rupture, particularly with negotiations over the two sides’ future relationship in areas such as trade, security and financial services, set to be even trickier than the wrangling over the U.K.’s withdrawal over the past 3 years. Load Error European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the U.K. will be treated like all non-EU countries after midnight and can’t expect any special treatment. With Britain to slip into a transition period until the end of 2020, which keeps the country in the EU in all but name, but without any decision-making powers, Brexit day is more about symbolism than anything else. In Sofia, the British embassy will lower its EU stars but, because it shares a building with the European InvestmentBank, the flag will go back up on Monday morning.