Wednesday

29th Nov 2023

MEPs draw 'red lines' on Brexit deal

  • European Parliament chief negotiator Verhofstadt (r) among his fellow MEPs (Photo: European Parliament)

MEPs will stress that the UK and EU members have no right to conclude separate deals during Brexit talks, according to a draft resolution seen by EUobserver.

The text, expected to be adopted next week during the European Parliament's plenary session in Strasbourg, will set out the institution's position on the Brexit negotiations, which will start soon after the UK's notification on Wednesday (29 March) of its intention to leave the EU.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

European Parliament sources said that the resolution will mainly say what the procedure should be and what the MEPs' political priorities are in regard to the talks.

It is also to remind the UK that the Brexit talks can only succeed if it shows "fair behaviour" while the negotiations are still ongoing, sources said.

"Unilateral decisions by the UK will be contrary to the Treaties and illegal," the parliament's president, Antonio Tajani, said on Wednesday, recalling that the UK is still a member of the EU for the next two years, and needs to respect the rights of EU citizens.

The resolution insists that the EU-27 have to work together, and warns that "any bilateral arrangement between one or several remaining member states and the United Kingdom, that has not been agreed by the EU-27 ... would be in contradiction with the Treaties".

"The unity of [the] 27 is vital," Liberal group leader Guy Verhofstadt told journalists. A former Belgian prime minister, Verhofstadt is the parliament's point man in the negotiations.

Invoking Article 50 is "an unprecedented and regrettable event as a member state has never left the European Union before", the draft resolution says.

It points out a set of issues that should be of paramount importance – the rights of citizens, the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, the Union's external borders, as well as legal certainty for businesses.

The parliament "requires the fair treatment of EU-27 citizens living or having lived in the United Kingdom and the UK citizens living or having lived in the EU-27, and is of the opinion that their respective interests must be given full priority in the negotiations", according to the draft text.

Parliament consent needed

The parliament will not participate directly in the negotiations, and the resolution is legally non-binding, but its consent will be needed on the final deal. That gives it an important power, as MEPs could scrap the entire deal if their demands are not met.

After UK prime minister Theresa May hinted that security cooperation with Europe could be jeopardised if the UK does not get a deal, Verhofstadt told journalists on Wednesday that "security is far too important to start bargaining it against an economic agreement".

In their resolution, MEPs stress that "whatever the outcome of the negotiations on the future EU-UK relationship, they cannot involve any trade-off between internal and external security including defence cooperation, on the one hand, and the future economic relationship, on the other hand."

They also propose that any possible transitional arrangement, which would follow the 2-year negotiation, should last for three years. They say that they will adopt more resolutions on specific issues once the negotiations kick off.

No bilateral agreements

The draft text makes it clear that the UK "must honour all its legal, financial and budgetary obligations". But the "UK will not be asked to pay what they have not previously agreed to," Tajani said.

The draft resolution also stresses that any access to the European single market would require participation in the EU budget, as well as the acceptance of the EU's "four freedoms": the free movement of people, services, goods and capital.

Theresa May has, for now, ruled out the possibility of participating in the single market, but MEPs believe that a U-turn on this issue is possible.

Since the UK also aims to start free trade talks with non-EU countries as soon as possible, the draft resolution emphasises that the UK cannot negotiate any trade deals with third countries while still in the EU.

The draft resolution has so far been supported by the centre-right European People's Party, the Socialists and Democrats group, the Liberals, and the Greens.

'Unhappy' day as UK delivers Brexit letter

European Council chief Donald Tusk said that "damage control" starts for the EU, as British PM Theresa May has invoked Article 50 nine months after the UK voted to leave the bloc.

UK launches first exit in EU history

European Council president Donald Tusk will be handed the Article 50 letter written by British PM Theresa May around 1.30pm. A "historic mistake", said the leader of the EU parliament's main group.

MEPs endorse EP red lines on Brexit

Juncker said the EU is looking for success with the UK during talks, as the European Parliament outlines its position on citizens, borders, and the bill that will have to be settled before London can move on to future discussions.

EU guidelines set out two-phase Brexit talks

According to the draft negotiating guidelines, the EU-27 would open negotiations on future EU-UK relations when "sufficient progress" has been made on citizens' rights, the British financial bill and the status of the border in Ireland.

Opinion

'Loss and Damage' reparations still hang in balance at COP28

There is still work to be done — especially when it comes to guaranteeing the Global North's participation in financing Loss and Damage, and ensuring the Global South has representation and oversight on the World Bank's board.

Latest News

  1. The EU's 'no added sugars' fruit-juice label sleight-of-hand
  2. EU belittles Russia's Lavrov on way to Skopje talks
  3. Member states stall on EU ban on forced-labour products
  4. EU calls for increased fuel supplies into Gaza
  5. People-smuggling profits at historic high, EU concedes
  6. EU bets big on fossil hydrogen and carbon storage
  7. How centre-right conservatives capitulate to the far-right
  8. My experience trying to negotiate with Uber

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  2. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?
  3. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsThis autumn Europalia arts festival is all about GEORGIA!
  4. UNOPSFostering health system resilience in fragile and conflict-affected countries
  5. European Citizen's InitiativeThe European Commission launches the ‘ImagineEU’ competition for secondary school students in the EU.
  6. Nordic Council of MinistersThe Nordic Region is stepping up its efforts to reduce food waste

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  2. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersGlobal interest in the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations – here are the speakers for the launch
  4. Nordic Council of Ministers20 June: Launch of the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations
  5. International Sustainable Finance CentreJoin CEE Sustainable Finance Summit, 15 – 19 May 2023, high-level event for finance & business
  6. ICLEISeven actionable measures to make food procurement in Europe more sustainable

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us