Geert Bourgeois on the Brexit agreement: “The start of a new chapter for EU-UK relations”

27 April 2021
Brexit

On Tuesday 27 April, the European Parliament votes on the trade agreement that the European Union concluded with the United Kingdom. “A crucial step to still avoid a disastrous no-deal,” MEP Geert Bourgeois says. “It is now time to look to the future together and start a new chapter. We must rebuild confidence for broad future cooperation.”

After five years, it is hoped that an end will come to a long period of difficult negotiations with a great deal of legal uncertainty for citizens and businesses. A starting point for a new chapter. “It is now important to implement the trade and cooperation agreement as pragmatically and flexibly as possible, of course, with full respect for the Good Friday Agreement and the unity of the European internal market,” Geert Bourgeois says.

Priorities

First of all, all parties must secure the Good Friday Agreement. The tensions in Northern Ireland must de-escalate as soon as possible. In the short term, a common, efficient solution must be found for the agreed customs controls, as provided for in the Withdrawal Agreement. “There is already a significant decline in our exports. Perhaps this also has to do with the pandemic, but Brexit is very clearly having a negative impact on customs clearance charges, customs and phytosanitary controls, VAT levy, rules of origin, the depreciation of the pound, etc. And then the rollout of UK customs controls is yet to follow.”

Work on customs controls

Geert Bourgeois is encouraging the European Commission and the British government to establish customs controls soon and sees several solutions for doing so:

  • Extensive digitisation of customs controls;
  • Make use of a system for “Trusted economic operators”, whereby certain companies that export a lot and comply with certain safety standards are only subject to spot checks;
  • Prior customs clearance: have as many checks as possible done in advance (“green lanes”);
  • Mutual recognition of veterinary checks.

“As a member of the ‘UK Coordination Group’ in the European Parliament, I can and will keep a careful watch to ensure that existing trade barriers are continuously monitored and eliminated as much as possible and that we tackle future new barriers, especially for our SMEs, as quickly as possible,” Geert Bourgeois says.

A good neighbour is better than a distant friend

With a view to the future and possible lasting cooperation in many other areas, Geert Bourgeois is particularly pleased with the establishment of the “EU-UK Parliamentary Assembly”. This new consultative body between the European Parliament and the British House of Commons and House of Lords can, subject to sustainable and structural consultation, lead to intense relations with our closest neighbour and partner. “The departure of the British is for us not merely an economic loss. Under the motto ‘Better a good neighbour than a distant friend’, it is in the interest of both to continue and even strengthen the cooperation. Not least in areas such as foreign policy, security, migration, border management, transport, the North Sea, research and development and education,” Geert Bourgeois concludes.

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