Live Replay of the EP Plenary session - Guidelines on the framework of future EU-UK relations. Opening statements during the plenary session in Strasbourg (12-15 March 2018)

Brexit (T)

article 50 of the Lisbon treaty (T)

Strasbourg

EU - United Kingdom (T)

debate

plenary session

JUNCKER, Jean-Claude (LU)

(02) EP Plenary session - Guidelines on the framework of future EU-UK relations. Opening statement by Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC (09:10 - 09:19)

SOUNDBITE (French), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, Monsieur le Pr&eacute;sident, bonjour. Mesdames et Messieurs les d&eacute;put&eacute;s, Il y a 349 jours, le 29 mars 2017, le Royaume-Uni a notifi&eacute; au Conseil europ&eacute;en son intention de quitter l'Union europ&eacute;enne. Dans 381 jours, le 29 mars 2019 &agrave; minuit, le Royaume-Uni aura quitt&eacute; l'Union europ&eacute;enne. Depuis les tous premiers jours de ces n&eacute;gociations, uniques et difficiles, notre objectif a toujours &eacute;t&eacute;, et restera, de parvenir &agrave; un retrait ordonn&eacute; du Royaume-Uni, dans son int&eacute;r&ecirc;t propre et dans celui de l'Union europ&eacute;enne.

SOUNDBITE (French), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, Mais chaque jour qui passe l'urgence de r&eacute;unir toutes les conditions n&eacute;cessaires &agrave; un tel retrait se fait plus grande. Cette urgence doit nous inciter tous, Union europ&eacute;enne et Royaume-Uni, &agrave; agir avec m&eacute;thode, pragmatisme, et transparence. Ce sont cette m&eacute;thode, ce pragmatisme et cette transparence qui sont au c&oelig;ur de la proposition de texte sur l'accord de retrait que la Commission a approuv&eacute; le 28 f&eacute;vrier dernier et qui ne fait que traduire juridiquement les engagements que nous avons pris ensemble, Commission et Royaume-Uni, en d&eacute;cembre dernier dans le "Joint Report". Michel Barnier discute maintenant, en d&eacute;tail, de notre proposition de texte avec ce Parlement et avec le Conseil des ministres. Car le projet final sur l'accord de retrait qui sera transmis &agrave; nos partenaires britanniques, comme base de n&eacute;gociation, refl&eacute;tera l'unit&eacute; des 27 Etats membres de l'Union europ&eacute;enne et de ses institutions. Je voudrais remercier Michel et son &eacute;quipe pour l'extraordinaire travail qu'ils fournissent depuis des mois, jour et nuit, pour mener &agrave; bien ces n&eacute;gociations.

SOUNDBITE (German), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, Mein Freund Michel Barnier, sein Team, wir alle stehen daf&uuml;r, dass von unserer Seite aus strukturiert und besonnen vorgegangen wird. In diesem Sinne haben wir die Vereinbarungen, die wir gemeinsam mit dem Vereinigten K&ouml;nigreich getroffen haben, in einen soliden Vertragstext gegossen, der vor allem die Rechte der B&uuml;rger pr&auml;zisiert. Somit ist dieser Text weitaus mehr als eine Ansammlung von Paragraphen &ndash; es geht hier um Zehntausende, if not more, Biografien. Wir stellen sicher, dass die Lebensentscheidungen dieser Menschen, der B&uuml;rger Europas, nicht dem Brexit zum Opfer fallen. Deshalb haben wir durchgesetzt, dass EU-B&uuml;rger im Vereinigten K&ouml;nigreich auch nach dem Brexit ihre Rechte behalten. Der Entwurf des Austrittsabkommens ist so konkret, dass sich B&uuml;rger auch vor britischen Gerichten darauf beziehen k&ouml;nnen, um ihre Rechte einzufordern.

SOUNDBITE (German), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, F&uuml;r die Zeit nach dem Austritt des Vereinigten K&ouml;nigreichs ist uns ebenfalls an einer engen Partnerschaft gelegen. Dabei muss allerdings die Einheit des Binnenmarktes gewahrt bleiben. Denn B&uuml;rger wie Unternehmen m&uuml;ssen sich auf dessen Errungenschaften &ndash; auf gleiche Regeln und Institutionen &ndash; verlassen k&ouml;nnen. Ein Rosinenpicken &ndash; "cherry-picking" &ndash; wird nicht m&ouml;glich sein. Ebenso wenig werden wir zulassen, dass Standards im Sozialen, Umweltstandards, Steuerstandards unterboten werden. Mir w&auml;re es lieber gewesen, die Briten h&auml;tten sich nicht daf&uuml;r entschieden auszutreten. Wer aber die Europ&auml;ische Union verlassen will, muss ehrlich sagen, was das eigentlich hei&szlig;t. Wer vier Jahrzehnte gemeinsamer Vereinbarungen und L&ouml;sungen hinter sich lassen will, muss die Verantwortung daf&uuml;r &uuml;bernehmen, dass nicht alles bleiben kann, so wie es ist.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, Ten days ago Prime Minister May gave us some more clarity on how the UK sees its future relationship with the EU. As my good friend John Bruton wrote in a recent article: "The most valuable test that Mrs May wishes to apply to a Brexit agreement is that it should be one that would endure, and not require constant renegotiation." I could not agree more, which means that everything that we say and that we do, on both sides, will require the utmost of clarity to help us pass the test. It is obvious that we need further clarity from the UK if we are to reach an understanding on our future relationship. We are preparing for this on the European Union side. Last week President Tusk circulated draft guidelines that will be discussed by the Leaders of the EU 27 next week. As the clock counts down, with one year to go, it is now time to translate speeches into treaties; to turn commitments into agreements; broad suggestions and wishes on the future relationship to specific, workable solutions.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, This is especially important when it comes to Ireland. Both the United Kingdom and the European Union have agreed that there should be no hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland. The Good Friday Agreement must be preserved in all its dimensions. And life for citizens on both sides of the border should be the same as it is today. Both sides agreed in December that there are three options to do this. The first is through the future partnership agreement, if possible. The second is through specific solutions that the United Kingdom has said it will put forward. We are ready to work on these two options but we need to receive concrete proposals from the United Kingdom first. The third option is the backstop solution. It would apply only if the first two options do not materialise. This scenario would see full alignment on those rules that protect the Good Friday Agreement, North-South cooperation and the all-island economy.

SOUNDBITE (German), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, The draft Protocol on Ireland should not come as a surprise or a shock. It translates faithfully last December's agreement into a legal text. The European Union, this House, the 27 Member States stand firm and united when it comes to Ireland. For us, this is not an Irish issue. It is a European issue. It is all for one and one for all &ndash; that is what it means to be part of this Union. We pool our resources and our sovereignty to strengthen one another and to give ourselves more sovereignty when dealing with the rest of the world. We see this with Brexit, we see this with trade, we see this across the board. As we build our future together, we must continue to make each other stronger by working together and building a more united, stronger and more democratic Union. This must be our joint focus. We need to focus on our European future &ndash; not on the past, and not on Brexit. Thank you.