The earliest date that there will be agreement on the shape of the UK energy sector’s relationship with the EU will be 2021, according to Sir Philip Lowe, the former director-general of Energy DG at the European Commission. Lowe said the Brexit agreement, which was triggered in March this year and will take effect two years later, would be a simple “withdrawal” agreement that would do no more than set in place transitional arrangements and postpone agreements for different specific sectors for a later date.