EU-UK negotiations: we want European interests protected

Four years ago, British citizens decided in a referendum to leave the European Union. This became reality with the entry-into-force of the Withdrawal Agreement on 1 February 2020. While the latter prevents a disorderly divorce and provides for a transition period until the end of 2020, a Political Declaration concluded at the same time sets the framework for the future relationship between the EU and the UK. Modalities of this framework are now at negotiation stage, but let’s be honest - there are still too many files to be addressed…

Now that we are some months before the final leaving date, let’s recall: a Brexit without a deal would result in the loss of millions of jobs in the UK and on the continent, queues for customs checks, delays in production chains or problems with the recognition of driving licences or professional qualifications.

It was not our decision at all, but the UK chose to be a third country and so to stop enjoying the same rights and benefits as a Member State of the EU. Now, our duty is to make sure that European interests, rights and standards are protected and unharmed due to the UK’s sovereign choice.

How do we protect them?

• First of all, we want to be very clear. Fair competition is key. Let's imagine for two seconds being in the shoes of a Belgian or French entrepreneur who overnight sees his business plummeting because of dumping just across the Channel. Therefore, we will not green light an agreement if the UK - in return for unprecedented market access - doesn’t accept EU market rules on, among other things, social, environmental, tax, state aid, consumer protection and climate matters. We are fighting for entrepreneurs and consumers’ rights.
   
• Another key topic for us is fisheries. The question cannot be an adjustment variable or a political symbol in the Brexit equation. No fisheries agreement means no post-Brexit agreement. It is in our common interest to manage, in a predictable way, the fisheries stocks in waters that are crucial for our countries. The agreements negotiated year-by-year and on the basis of the zonal attachment of the stock will not guarantee stability for our fisheries sectors. Nor will they allow the preservation of species or prevent a race for volume between our fishermen. Our fisheries sectors are interdependent: nearly 40% of the fish caught in Europe are captured in UK waters and conversely, 70% of UK fisheries products are exported to the European market. Without an agreement, many direct and indirect jobs will be destroyed and the social fabric of the coastal regions, whose soul is in fishing and seafaring, will be deeply damaged. We can't allow that. This value chain is already being severely affected by the current Coronavirus crisis and its consequences. It is in the interests of both parties to agree on a text that comes as close to the current situation as possible. We are fighting to protect fishermen and biodiversity.
   
• We also want to protect the rights of some 3.1 million Europeans working and living in the UK and make sure that they enjoy the same rights as the more than 1 million UK citizens living on the continent. Since we cannot allow ourselves to have two different interpretations of the EU legal provisions, we need to also agree on the role of the European Court of Justice - this is the only body competent in interpreting EU law and this role cannot be questioned. We are fighting to defend fundamental rights.
   
• A no-deal would also contribute to endangering our lives on a daily basis. Indeed, crime and terrorist threats know no borders. Regardless of which path our future relationship takes, we need to make sure that our judiciaries cooperate in order to ensure that our nationals benefit from the same legal protection, and our security services and police can share information in order to combat crime or terrorist threats. For this to succeed, the UK must guarantee that despite not being part of the EU or of the Schengen area, the information on and the data of EU nationals are as well protected as they are under the EU system. We are fighting to protect Europeans.

A divorce is a failure by its very nature, but at least we can make sure that it happens without too much damage. The Withdrawal Agreement, agreed jointly with the UK, made sure that the separation is orderly. We want to see Boris Johnson fulfilling all commitments stemming from this agreement, notably regarding the Irish Protocol in order to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland. We want these guarantees sooner rather than later - we can’t wait until December. It is essential for the trust and goodwill in future EU-UK relations. We will not accept any backtracking on the Political Declaration, negotiated word for word and adopted by the UK and which remains the basis for our negotiation, and the yardstick to our consent.

Brexit has been a real saga whose climax is approaching. Throughout the negotiations, the EPP Group has worked to protect the rights of Europeans and businesses and to make sure that these are not compromised by a very short timeline that Boris Johnson has inflicted on the negotiations. We will continue along these lines, fully confident in Michel Barnier. The British negotiators must not underestimate that the European Parliament will have the final say. So far, the lack of tangible progress in the agreement makes its green light hypothetical, as we will not agree a deal at any cost.