The European Parliament adopted by 578 votes to 51, with 68 abstentions, a resolution on the outcome of EU-UK negotiations.

The text adopted in plenary was tabled by the EPP, S&D, Renew, Greens/EFA and the Left groups.

Although Parliament strongly welcomed the conclusion of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement which limits the negative consequences of the United Kingdom’s (UK’s) withdrawal from the European Union (EU), Members reiterated that the UK’s withdrawal from the EU is a historic mistake.

While the EU has always respected the UK’s decision to withdraw from the EU, the UK must also accept the consequences of leaving the EU and that a third country cannot have the same rights and benefits as a Member State. Parliament stressed, however, that it has always sought to protect the rights of EU citizens, protect peace and prosperity on the island of Ireland, protect fishing communities, uphold the EU’s legal order, safeguard the autonomy of EU decision making, preserve the integrity of the customs union and internal market while avoiding social, environmental, fiscal, or regulatory dumping.

With this Agreement, these goals have been largely achieved. Parliament regretted nonetheless the limited scope of this Agreement, due to the lack of political will on the part of the UK to engage in important areas, notably foreign, defence and external security policy. It also regretted the UK’s decision not to participate in Erasmus+, depriving young people of such a unique opportunity.

It also condemned the UK’s more recent unilateral actions, in breach of the Withdrawal Agreement, to extend grace periods exempting exports from Great Britain to Northern Ireland from providing export health certificates for all shipments of animal products, exempting parcels from making customs declarations, and derogating from EU rules preventing soil from entering the internal market and on pet passports. Parliament considered these actions present a serious threat to the integrity of the Single Market.

Members are also deeply concerned by the recent tensions in Northern Ireland and recalled that the EU is one of the main guardians of the Good Friday Agreement and is determined to protect it.

The Role of the European Parliament

Parliament regretted the extreme last-minute nature of the Agreements, and the resulting uncertainty which is imposing high costs on citizens and economic operators and has also impacted Parliament’s prerogatives to scrutinise and apply democratic oversight of the final text of the Agreements ahead of their provisional application.

Members did express support for the establishment of a Parliamentary Partnership Assembly for Members of the European and UK Parliaments, under the Agreement. The Assembly should be tasked with monitoring the full and proper implementation of the Agreement and making recommendations to the Partnership Council.

Parliament called for increased efforts by all EU Member States and, where applicable, regions, to ensure that these first months under the new regime vis-à-vis the new status of the UK go as smoothly as possible for all economic operators and citizens.

The Commission is called on to make full and timely use of the EUR 5 billion Brexit Adjustment Reserve, once adopted by the co-legislators, to help sectors, businesses and workers alike, and Member States most affected by the negative and unforeseen impacts of the new relationship between the EU and the UK.

Overall, Parliament welcomed:

- that there will be no changes to EU food safety standards and that the Agreement aims to safeguard the EU’s high sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards;

- the comprehensive chapter on air transport included in the Agreement, which should ensure that the EU’s strategic interests are protected, and which contains appropriate provisions on market access, traffic rights, code sharing and passengers’ rights;

- the fact that the Agreement will ensure quota-free connectivity between the EU and the UK for road transport hauliers and that it will guarantee full transit rights across each other’s territories, the so-called ‘land bridge’;

- the continuation of European collaboration with the UK in the field of science, research, innovation and space.

Trade

Members emphasised the unprecedented scope of the Agreement with regard to trade in goods whereby the objective of zero quotas and zero tariffs has been achieved and as a result will facilitate trade with the UK, in the framework of appropriate rules of origin, safeguarding the interests of EU producers, including through bilateral cumulation, the self-certification of origin by exporters, as well as the 12-month exemption period for some of the documentation.

By leaving the internal market, the UK lost its automatic unlimited right to provide services across the EU. Parliament welcomed nevertheless the mechanism provided for in the Agreement whereby the EU and the UK may later agree on a case-by-case basis and for specific professions on additional arrangements.

Governance

The horizontal governance and institutional framework set out in the Agreement was welcomed as well as the non-discrimination clause in the governance chapter that ensures that the UK cannot, in its national visa policy, discriminate between citizens of EU Member States for the purpose of granting short-term visas.

Specific sectoral issues and thematic cooperation

As part of the implementation process the EU should pay special attention to the conformity of the customs checks performed before goods enter the internal market (either coming from the UK or from other third countries via the UK) as envisaged in the Agreement, and insisted that ensuring the compliance of goods with internal market rules is of utmost importance.

Members stressed the need for greater investment in customs control facilities and for further coordination and exchange of information.

Parliament considered that smooth cooperation between customs and market surveillance authorities is absolutely necessary and raises concerns in particular about the necessary operational capacity of the EU presence in Northern Ireland.

Cross-border shopping

The resolution noted that consumer habits and consumer confidence in cross-border shopping have already been negatively affected by the uncertainty over the applicable rules and called on the UK Government, the Commission and the Member States to swiftly implement he measures set out in the Agreement for the protection of consumers, and to reinforce cooperation on various sectoral policies relating to sustainable production methods and product safety.

Fisheries

Parliament deplored the negative impact on certain fishing communities, while recognising that the provisions on fisheries which establish a 25 % reduction phased in over 5½ years represents a less damaging outcome than a complete closure of UK waters.

Stressing that the UK's continued access to EU markets is directly linked to the access EU fishermen's access to UK waters, Members pointed out that should the UK consider limiting access after the initial 5½ year period, the EU will be able to take action to protect its interests, including by re-establishing tariffs or quotas for UK fish imports or suspending other parts of the Agreement.

Judicial cooperation

The resolution stressed that the Agreement establishes cooperation with the UK in law enforcement and judicial cooperation in criminal matters, which is of an unprecedentedly close nature with a third country. It deplored that Parliament’s demands regarding a common EU approach on asylum, migration and border management have not been followed up and that these important matters, which also impact the rights of the most vulnerable, such as unaccompanied minors, are now left to be dealt with via bilateral cooperation.

Mobility

Parliament regretted the lack of ambition of the Agreement on mobility policies and called for the development of safe legal migration pathways between the EU and UK. It welcomed the provisions on visas for short-term visits and the non-discrimination clause among Member States and called on the UK not to discriminate among EU citizens on the basis of their nationality, both in terms of registration in the EU settlement scheme, as well as in mobility and visa issues.

Financial issues

According to the resolution, there is a need to further clarify the scope of the non-regression obligation with regard to tax matters.