The European Parliament ratified the Brexit deal with the United Kingdom

the The European Parliament ratified the trade and cooperation agreement between the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom on Wednesday, a process that concludes four years of negotiations between London and Brussels and four months of parliamentary scrutiny of the final pact, which ends 47 years of the island country in the community club.

The vote ended with 660 votes in favor, 5 against and 32 abstentions.

The pact therefore remains ready to enter into force definitively in the next few days, a step which does not change the “ status quo ” of the rules which were applied since the British disengagement in January but which does completely eliminates the possibility of a no-deal Brexit.

The European Parliament’s vote comes after four months of consideration by MEPs of an agreement that negotiators in London and Brussels managed to reach on the afternoon of Christmas Eve 2020 After less than a year of intense conversations between the two teams, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

In record time, the teams led by Michel Barnier and David Frost managed to strike a deal that solved the thorny equal opportunities issues on both sides of the Channel and the fishing industry, the main obstacles to the search for a consensus in 2020.

After the afternoon of December 24, and although the British House of Commons agreed to review the deal before the end of 2020, the European Parliament refused to speed up scrutiny to approve the pact in less than a week so that vigor for him January 1, first day with the UK completely withdrawn from community structures.

MEPs took advantage of these four months, with the pact provisionally applied to avoid the no-deal exit scenario, to examine a paragraph-by-paragraph treaty that defines the relationship between the two after Brexit and marks a important feedback in the quality of this link after nearly half a century of UK membership in the EU.

“Historical error”

MEPs also adopted an accompanying resolution calling Brexit a “Historical error” and acknowledges that the closed agreement reaches protect the rights of European citizens, peace on the island of Ireland, fishing communities, the community legal order and the autonomy of decision-making power of the European Union.

“The European Union has always respected the UK decision while insisting that the UK should also accept the consequences of leaving the European Union and that a third country cannot enjoy the same rights and advantages as a Member State», Underline the deputies in this text.

They also warn of one of the causes that delayed approval of the deal in the European Parliament: the unilateral breaches of the Withdrawal Agreement by the United Kingdom and, in particular, the Protocol which governs the special situation in which the island of Ireland finds itself, with part of its territory in the EU and part in the United Kingdom.

As Brussels and London continue their dialogue on this British decision to unilaterally extend the duration agreed for a specific customs measure in Northern Ireland, the European Chamber has asked the Commission not to hesitate to apply restrictive trade measures, such as quotas or tariffs, if the UK continues to violate agreed terms.

“We don’t trust Boris Johnson’s government”, declared on several occasions the leader of the European popular ranks – the largest group in the European Parliament -, Manfred Weber, who insisted that the Commission “Use all tools to ensure the correct implementation of the agreements and prevent further violence in Northern Ireland”.

The President of the Social Democrats in the European Parliament, Spanish Iratxe Garcia, declared for its part that Brexit “represents the big lie from the British right“And asked for a reflection” on what harmful that voluntary isolationism can be“. “For our part, we must build a hand of faithful friendship and we must do our best to develop a constructive partnership“He added.

“The first trade agreement in history to erect barriers and eliminate freedoms? A failure for both parties, but better than nothing. I still believe that one day an ambitious young politician will want the UK to be a leader again in the European Union, ”the Liberal MP wrote on Twitter. Guy Verhofstadt.

“This is the last stage of a long road”

The British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, declared on Wednesday that the ratification of the Brexit pact by the European Parliament is “the last leg of a long road “between the UK and the EU.

The head of government assured that “Provides stability” to UK relations with the EU “as a vital business partners, close allies and sovereign equality“.

“Now is the time to look to the future and build a more global UK”Johnson added, referring to concluding trade deals with countries outside the EU bloc.

For his part, who was a British Brexit negotiator and is now responsible for government relations with the EU, David Frost, noted that the two sides worked “tirelessly” to reach an agreement based on “cooperation and free trade” between “equal sovereigns”.

“Today’s vote brings certainty and allows us to focus on the future”, subrayó Frost.

(With information from EFE)

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