The French Europe minister said will be a high-profile meeting with European Union representatives on January 4 and litigation at a special tribunal put in place by the Brexit accords will start in "the very first days of January". In his latest attack against the UK, he told France 2 television: "The strategy of seeking the division of Europeans has never worked. We are going to initiate a European dispute, which is a legal procedure that can lead to retaliatory measures."

       Additional reporting by Paul Withers

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