Debate: The EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement - The outcome of EU-UK negotiations
Date: TUESDAY, 27 APRIL 2021
Speaker: David McAllister
Political group: PPE
Country: Netherlands
Language: EN

Madam President, the consent of the European Parliament to the Trade and Cooperation Agreement marks the end of an unprecedented process, but, above all, it marks the beginning of a new chapter in our relationship with the United Kingdom, an important neighbour, an important partner and a loyal NATO ally.  As previous speakers have mentioned, indeed since the provisional application of this Agreement on 1 January, we are witnessing practical difficulties. Indeed, this Agreement is not completely exhaustive. Provisions on foreign policy and security cooperation are lacking and all of us deeply regret that the United Kingdom will no longer participate in the successful Erasmus+ Programme. Indeed, it is clear that more work will be needed to broaden and deepen our new partnership with the United Kingdom in the upcoming years.  However, it has always been clear from the beginning, that even an agreement as comprehensive as the one we are voting on today simply cannot replace EU membership. A third country cannot have the same rights and benefits as a Member State. Yet this Trade and Cooperation Agreement is a solid legal basis for our future relations with the United Kingdom, it gives people and businesses on both sides of the Channel legal certainty and prevents the cliff—edge Brexit with trade on WTO terms that we were all determined to avoid.  During the negotiations, it was not self-evident that a deal could be reached by the end of the transition period. The talks were very challenging and certainly complex. Allow me also to thank our chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, and his team for their outstanding work and for the very good cooperation with Parliament’s United Kingdom Coordination Group (UKCG). Now the Agreement must be implemented. The practical difficulties that we have witnessed in the first weeks of the provisional application result from the type of Brexit that the UK Government has chosen for itself. With regard to the worrying situation in Northern Ireland, it is clear to us that the implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement, including the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland, is the only way to protect the Good Friday Agreement. It is the only way to preserve peace and stability, while avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland and also maintaining the integrity of our single market. The European Union has always been, and the European Union will remain, fully committed to work on practical solutions, but let me be absolutely clear. The Protocol is not the problem. The Protocol is the solution to the problem. The name of the problem is Brexit. As we, the European Parliament, continue to follow the situation closely, we also need to play a key role in the implementation and scrutiny of the Withdrawal Agreement and also the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. In this regard, let me commend our Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, and our Vice-President, Maroš Šefčovič, for the Commission’s clear commitment to the future role Parliament must play while monitoring and implementing the agreement.  Finally, allow me to thank everyone involved in this in so many ways unprecedented and challenging negotiation process, the members of the UK Coordination Group, in which we worked very well and constructively together across party lines. I would like to thank President Sassoli and the group leaders in the Conference of Presidents, as well as the parliamentary committees, for their trust and the good cooperation with the members of the UKCG. I would also like to welcome the staff involved, who worked so tirelessly in recent weeks.  While Brexit is, and will always be, a lose-lose situation, the negotiations have once again shown that our strength as the European Union lies in our unity. We should all keep this in mind when further developing our community of states.