EU says Britain’s divorce bill may hit $62 billion

If Britain wants out of the European Union, it should be prepared to pay.

That’s the message that EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker delivered on Friday, telling the BBC that Britain will need to pay roughly £50 billion ($62.4 billion) as it leaves the EU.

The precise amount required, Juncker added, would be “scientifically calculated.”

Juncker’s opening offer comes just days before the official start of exit negotiations, a process that will be triggered by Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday. The size of the so-called Brexit bill is expected be a key sticking point in talks.

EU member states pay into the communal budget, which finances infrastructure projects, social programs, scientific research and pensions for EU bureaucrats. The bloc’s budget is negotiated to cover a period of years, with the current agreement extending to 2020.

The lead EU negotiator, Michel Barnier, warned this week of severe air traffic disruptions, nuclear