During the meeting of the EP Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) in Brussels, Members receive Michel BARNIER, European Commission Chief Negotiator for Article 50 Negotiations with the UK, for an exchange of views on the After Brexit - The EU's future relations with the United Kingdom.

Committee on Foreign Affairs

Brussels

exchange of views

Brexit (T)

article 50 of the Lisbon treaty (T)

EU - United Kingdom (T)

meeting

BARNIER, Michel (FR)

After Brexit - The EU's future relations with the United Kingdom: extracts from the opening statement by Michel BARNIER, European Commission Chief Negotiator for Article 50 Negotiations with the UK

SOUNDBITE (French), Michel BARNIER, European Commission Chief Negotiator for Article 50 Negotiations , We find ourselves at a rather serious moment in this negotiation a little suspended to the decisions of the British Parliament concerning the withdrawal agreement that we negotiated with the United Kingdom, not against the United Kingdom.

SOUNDBITE (French), Michel BARNIER, European Commission Chief Negotiator for Article 50 Negotiations, It is: 1) the treaty on the withdrawal ordered, 600 pages, and it is in the 2nd part of the package, this text easier to read and probably also for you very important: the political declaration that accompanies the treaty. Basically, the treaty deals with the past, as in any divorce the past must be settled. This is what we did with the UK for this treaty and we have in this policy statement outlined the path for a future important partnership relationship with this great country.

SOUNDBITE (French), Michel BARNIER, European Commission Chief Negotiator for Article 50 Negotiations , By the way, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said at the beginning of this process that "the future of the Union the future of the Union is much more important than Brexit". I agree with that.

SOUNDBITE (French), Michel BARNIER, European Commission Chief Negotiator for Article 50 Negotiations, I asked Mr. Farage a question: Mr. Farage you campaigned for Brexit. You have won, we respect even if we regret. We are doing the Brexit treaty, I showed him the treaty and I asked him "How do you see things after?" And his answer is extremely clear; you must know it and remember it. His answer was "Mr Barnier after the Brexit the EU will no longer exist", so they want to destroy. These people want to destroy the European Union from the inside and others from the outside.

SOUNDBITE (French), Michel BARNIER, European Commission Chief Negotiator for Article 50 Negotiations, I do not want the "no deal", I have not worked at any time for a "no deal" but we are prepared, and we must be aware of what the "no deal" means "on our security partnership: that is to say a break of the discussions on a common vision and fewer respective commitments. Significant restrictions on our intelligence exchanges, the risk of sanctions divergence due to a more limited exchange of information.

SOUNDBITE (French), Michel BARNIER, European Commission Chief Negotiator for Article 50 Negotiations, We had planned a tailor-made security partnership, anticipating the transitional measures of the exit agreement provides the possibility that this strategic partnership comes into force before the end of the transition. We propose cooperation on the basis of convergent interests as London wants. Finally a proportional partnership is an important word. The more the United Kingdom cooperates with the Union, for example on sanctions or in the field of military operations, the closer and planned consultations with London will be. We are giving a premium to cooperation and we are ready to increase proportionally the intensity of our relations according to the commitment of the United Kingdom. 

SOUNDBITE (French), Michel BARNIER, European Commission Chief Negotiator for Article 50 Negotiations, I think it's not too late, beyond the consequences of Brexit, to learn from it and try to understand listening and responding to citizens' concerns. Among these concerns there is a need for protection and this is the essence of what I have tried to tell you and the answer we are trying to make with the UK for a better cooperation, new, in another framework on security and defense issues.

SOUNDBITE (French), Michel BARNIER, European Commission Chief Negotiator for Article 50 Negotiations, This single market is the reason why the US President and the Chinese President are respecting us. And it's not just a free trade area the single market, it's an integrated ecosystem of standards, certifications, common regulations, common oversight, and above all, with a common jurisdiction. So we can not have one foot in one foot outside. 