Debate: The EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement - The outcome of EU-UK negotiations
Date: TUESDAY, 27 APRIL 2021
Speaker: Gunnar Beck
Political group: ID
Country: Germany
Language: EN

Madam President, today is a good day because, exceptionally and for the first time in two years, Members are asked to approve an act that’s not patently undemocratic, doesn’t cost billions of taxpayers’ money and isn’t altogether unlawful. That an agreement was reached at all is in no small measure the achievement of Michel Barnier and his realism, diplomatic acumen and great perseverance. It shows that the EU may yet serve a purpose if it focuses on commerce and trade and appoints someone who knows what he’s doing.  The EU commenced trade negotiations with maximum demands for ECJ jurisdiction over any trade deal, full regulatory alignment on EU terms and pre-Brexit fishing rights: unprecedented demands hitherto never asked of any trade partner. Britain simply wanted a Canada—style deal, regulatory independence and legal sovereignty. Eventually the EU gave way on the ECJ omnipotence in return for UK acceptance of the regulatory status quo. Instead of dynamic regulatory alignment, the UK agreed to a limited non—regression mechanism that allows for EU sanctions to offset higher EU costs imposed by a Green Deal not binding on the UK. Such trade sanctions leave Britain to trade freely with other countries and UK sovereignty is not unduly abridged. The deal mitigates disruption to supply chains and to EU—UK trade. It is vital to Ireland and beneficial to most parties concerned. The majority resolution welcomes these facts and hails the deal as an EU negotiating success, though it fails to mention that the TCA prevents EU consumers from offsetting higher so-called sustainable prices with cheaper imports. Sadly, there’s no law against self—harm.  The resolution also calls Britain’s withdrawal from the EU an historic mistake, which will impede the growth of the UK’s large service sector. Let’s look at the facts. It is early days but, according to the IMF, the UK economy is expected to recover to pre-COVID levels by mid—2022, based on 6% growth this and next year, compared with a partial annual 4% EU recovery, and, while UK long—term unemployment should average 2% next year, it is 4.2% for the eurozone. Simply by leaving, the UK is now saving EUR 14 billion in terms of budget contributions each year, EUR 17 billion for the SURE unemployment programme and a staggering EUR 140 billion gross contributions for non-participation in Next Generation EU. Britain’s relative success is manifest above all in its vaccination programme. Seventy percent of all UK adults have been vaccinated, three times as many as in the eurozone. As a result, life is returning to normal in the UK, while many EU countries remain locked down. If Brexit is a success, it will be the beginning of the unravelling of the EU. This was, and remains, the view of many here.  Well then, Brexit seems, at least initially, a success and the historic mistake may have been the euro. Today, more British people think Brexit was the right choice  more than the 52% who voted for it. The EU too has a choice. Either it reforms, focuses again on trade and commerce, and it may succeed again, or its leaders continue down the path of saving the planet and of integrating our continent by de—Europeanising it, and then it will fail. It will fail, no matter what, either as an integrated superstate, lingering on as a vast stagflation zone, or it will falter with one half—solvent country after another taking heart from Britain’s proof that life is possible outside the EU after all, and with modern Germany left as the last member standing like a blinded cyclops raging about whose fault it is. The answer of course was given by Odysseus: nobody but yourself.  Generosity over Northern Ireland will be a good way to start reform. The Withdrawal Agreement is hampering UK imports and has led to violence in Belfast. Let’s respect the Belfast Agreement in full and let’s have a soft Irish and a soft Irish sea border.