Debate: Preparation of the European Council meeting of  June  - Recommendations on the negotiations for a new partnership with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Date: WEDNESDAY, 17 JUNE 2020
Speaker: Nikolina Brnjac
Language: EN

We need to support the sectors and regions most affected by the pandemic to kick-start the economy and lay the ground for a sustainable recovery across Europe. Yet we also need to ensure that other vital priorities for our Union, such as the green and digital transition, are met and matched by the right resources. That is why the EU recovery plan, presented by the Commission at the end of May, is so important, and why it will be the main focus of our efforts in the weeks ahead. We will shortly be called on to agree not only on the instruments of the recovery, but on the entire Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for the coming years, and this is no small task. The Council and the European Council are fully mobilised behind this common effort. Members of the European Council will hold an orientation debate on the EU recovery package on Friday through video conference. The President of the European Council wants to give leaders an opportunity to discuss the various aspects of the overall packages and prepare the subsequent summit, which should, if possible, be a physical meeting. While the President of the European Council launched the political consultations at the highest level, following the Commission’s proposal, we also immediately started work in the Council. The Croatian Presidency has organised a series of meetings, both at technical and political levels, in order for the delegates to closely examine and present their views on the building blocks of the package. This technical and political work on the proposals is needed to pave the way for the leaders’ discussion. These discussions in the Council have helped clarify many issues and were held in a positive atmosphere. Delegations are willing to look at both the MFF and the recovery plan as a package, taking into account the effects of this crisis. Continuous cooperation with the European Parliament will remain crucial if we want the package to enter into force already in January 2021. The ambition is for the European Council to provide its political guidance to the Council before the summer break, which would allow us to promptly seek the European Parliament’s consent. Let us be honest: this is a very ambitious approach. Positions are still apart on a number of issues, but together we have to make sure and do our utmost so that the MFF and the Recovery Instrument swiftly bring tangible positive effects for our citizens and businesses. While the EU recovery package will be the main focus of the leaders’ discussions on Friday, they will also touch upon other issues. In particular, let me note that President Michel will update the leaders on the state of play of the EU—UK negotiations on the future partnership. Unfortunately, so far we have not have not achieved as much as we had hoped for. That is the case in all four crucial areas: the level playing field, fisheries, governance and internal security, as well as foreign policy and external security, to which you rightly devote a section in your recommendation. Since the UK Government has confirmed that they will not consider an extension of the transition period, what is ahead of us is about four months of further negotiation, taking into account the time necessary for a proper ratification process. The fact that we are left with so little time is not the choice of the Council, nor of the Parliament, but we have to respect it. The mandate and political declaration that are guiding our negotiator, as well as your resolution on the subject, are anchored into the situation created by the United Kingdom. The UK has a choice: either to preserve enough alignment with the Union and retain substantial access to the single market, or choose its own path – not only in terms of sovereignty, but also in regulatory terms, which would reduce the scope and the depth of the partnership that can be concluded. We believe that the negotiating mandate, adopted by the Council last February and largely echoed by your resolution, provides for enough flexibility to find an agreement in the little time left. This is also why we support the decision of the negotiators to intensify the pace of negotiations over the summer so that, by October, we can see a draft partnership emerging. Before I conclude, let me finally stress that, as also pointed out in your draft recommendation, we have causes for concern in the current implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement. Needless to say, progress in the partnership negotiations has to go hand in hand with progress in the implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement.