Negotiations with UK will focus on quality, not speed

The EPP Group in the European Parliament will vote tonight in favour of the Brexit agreement, but has clear expectations for the upcoming negotiations on the future relationship between the EU and the UK.

"If you want to have access to our market, you have to respect our rules", said Manfred Weber MEP, Chairman of the EPP Group. "In these negotiations, one principle is clear: if you are leaving the European Union, you are losing the advantages of the club. In the discussions on the future relationship, we will focus on quality, not on speed", Weber insisted.

"We need to protect the interests of our citizens, fishermen and farmers, students and entrepreneurs. This is why not time, but content will be decisive for us", Weber continued.

“We regret that our British friends are leaving the EU. We are ready to open a new chapter in our relationship with the UK. We prefer a relationship that will continue a close alignment between our economies”, said Danuta Hübner MEP, the EPP Group’s negotiator of Parliament’s position on the Withdrawal Agreement.

David McAllister MEP sees the priorities in the field of trade and security cooperation, and warns against Britain diverging from EU standards. "In the negotiations, we will not accept any kind of violation of the integrity of the European Union, the Single Market and the Customs Union. And a level playing field is key. The more the United Kingdom is willing to cooperate under our accepted standards, the closer our cooperation can be", said McAllister. He will chair Parliament's new ‘UK Coordination Group’ which will oversee the future negotiations with Britain.