European Parliament demands proper scrutiny of any EU-UK deal

Today (4 November) Barnier briefed EU ambassadors and the European Parliament on EU/UK talks. Barnier said that despite EU efforts to find solutions, very serious divergences remain in the crunch issues of level playing field, governance & fisheries that the EU considers essential conditions for the future economic partnership.

The UK’s chief negotiator David Frost, agreed with Barnier that despite two weeks of intensive talks with the EU wide divergences remained on core issues. He said that he would continue to work on solutions that fully respect UK sovereignty.

Following the briefing with Barnier the Chair of Parliament’s UK Coordination Group, David McAllister (EPP, DE) said: “Today, we met Michel Barnier and noted with deep concern that the list of fundamental divergences remains long. While the EU chief negotiator clearly stated that the EU wants to conclude an agreement, Parliament underlines that we will not give up its position on key issues [...]. The EU needs to protect its long-term political interests.”

“As negotiations enter their final stage, we want to point out that giving the European Parliament sufficient time to scrutinize any agreement between the EU and the United Kingdom before giving its consent is of utmost importance. This is not merely a procedural matter, but, above all, a democratic responsibility.”

Chair of the parliament’s International Trade Committee, Bernd Lange MEP (S&D, DE), tweeted: “It's a shame that the British side is only now negotiating seriously and constructively. How much unnecessary time was lost by tactical games of Boris Johnson. This endgame is completely homemade and could have been avoided.”

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