Live Replay of the debate on the UK’s withdrawal from the EU during the plenary session in Brussels (30-31/01/2019)  The following transcription is the result of an automatic process. Check Against delivery.

Brussels

Brexit (T)

debate

plenary session

JUNCKER, Jean-Claude (LU)

The UK’s withdrawal from the EU: opening statement by Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC (16:25 - 16:32)

SOUNDBITE (Original), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, Mr. President honorable members, in less than 60 days the United Kingdom is due to leave the European Union. This is a bad decision. Even as the commission has defended the interests of the European Union, the spirit of respect and friendship has accompanied us at every step in these negotiations that we've drawn agreements and political declaration agreed by all 27 leaders and the United Kingdom government is the result that. The withdrawal agreement remains means the best and only deal possible.

The European Union said so in November we said so in December we said so after the first meaningful meaningful vote in the Commons in January the debate and votes in the House of Commons yesterday do not change that we've all. The withdrawal Agreement will not be renegotiate. Both sides have said loud and clear that there can be no return to a hard border on the island of Ireland no slipping back into darker times past. I believe the Prime Minister's personal commitment on this point but I believe also that we need a safety net that secures us against this risk.

We have no incentive nor desire to use the safety net. But at the same time no safety net can ever truly be safe if it can just be removed at any time sometimes from time to time I have the impression that some hope that the 26 other countries will abandon the next and so Ireland at the last minute. But this is not a game and neither is it a simple bilateral issue. It goes to the heart of what being a member of the European Union means Ireland's border is Europe's border and it is our unions by ladies and gentlemen we know from yesterday's debate that the House of Commons is against many things it is against and no Divises. It is against the backstop. But we still do not know what exactly the House of Commons is actually for.

The concept of alternative arrangements is not new. It was discussed in the negotiations. It is referred to in the Political Declaration and in our letter to Prime Minister may Donald Tusk and I committed to exploit it further. As a matter of priority but the concept is not the plan. It is not an operational solution. Many in the House of Commons both among those who voted for and those who voted against the amendment are aware of this I will continue to be in close contact with Prime Minister me for whom I have the greatest respect and I will listen to her ideas. But I will also be extremely clear about the position of the European Union that I have presented today.

President ladies and gentlemen, allow me to tell you very clearly that yesterday's vote has further increased the risk of a disorderly exit of the United Kingdom. We have to continue to do everything in our power to prepare for all of the possible scenarios including the worst the commission has begun its preparatory work in December 2017 and in close cooperation with the parliament we have accelerated our preparations we have been sending teams to every capital city to ensure that each member state is ready. The commission will provide full support to this work and has done since the beginning.

We have had 88 notifications about the consequences of Brexit in different sectors. We have made proposals on specific areas such as Erasmus Social Security and the budget of the European Union. We are presenting these today I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the members of the European Parliament to ensure that we can get a rapid agreement on these proposals as well as on all of the other urgent files that are in the pipeline. It's important that the European Union remains calm united and determined as it has been throughout this process in this work we have to follow a golden rule we have to follow the results of the agreement and the political declaration.

I'm still an optimist by nature. And a believer in democratic institutions by conviction. This leads me to believe that that can and will be agreement with the United Kingdom so that we can move on and move forward together with our new partnership. We will work day and night to make it happen and to ensure that we are ready in case it does not. Which ever way I will always ensure that this house is the first to know and the last to decide. Thank you.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, Before I give the floor to our negotiator Michelle Barnier. What I wanted to stress to the president of the commission and to our negotiator and to the Parliament that the solution to the Brexit problem as we see it includes the defense of the EU citizens all 3 million of them who live in the United Kingdom. That is a priority. And we also are concerned about the rights of British citizens who live in the EU so first of all the rights of British and EU citizens and those from elsewhere as well. Thank you very much.