The
European Parliament’s UK Coordination Group (UKCG) met today to assess
the impact of the United Kingdom Internal Market Bill on the
implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement with EU-UK Joint Committee
Co-Chair Maroš Šefčovič and to evaluate the ongoing negotiations on the
future EU-UK relationship with EU Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier.
EP political group leaders and UKCG
members are deeply concerned and disappointed that the UK Government
published an Internal Market Bill that clearly represents a serious and
unacceptable breach of international law. It violates the Withdrawal
Agreement that was signed and ratified by the current UK Government and
Parliament less than a year ago. The Internal Market Bill gravely
damages the trust and credibility that the European Parliament has already said is “an essential element of any negotiation”, thus putting at risk the ongoing negotiations on the future relationship.
The European Parliament supports EU
Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier and Commission Vice-President Maroš
Šefčovič in asking the UK government to withdraw these measures from the
bill immediately; by the end of September, at the very latest. The
European Parliament’s UK Coordination Group stresses that:
- the Withdrawal Agreement, including the Protocol on Ireland/Northern
Ireland, has legally binding force regardless of whether or not the EU
and the UK conclude any new treaty governing their future relationship;
and
- any issue regarding the implementation of its provisions should be
addressed by the Joint Committee and in no case unilaterally by any
party to the agreement.
The European Parliament expects the UK
government to uphold the rule of law and demands nothing less than the
full implementation of all provisions of the Withdrawal Agreement,
including the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland, which is essential
to protect the Good Friday Agreement and peace and stability on the
island of Ireland.
Should the UK authorities breach – or
threaten to breach – the Withdrawal Agreement, through the United
Kingdom Internal Market Bill in its current form or in any other way,
the European Parliament will, under no circumstances, ratify any
agreement between the EU and the UK.
Regarding the outcome of the eighth
negotiating round, the European Parliament remains committed to an
ambitious partnership with the UK. We are disappointed with the
continued lack of reciprocal engagement from the UK side on fundamental
EU principles and interests.
The European Parliament calls on the UK
to work with the EU constructively and find compromises that are in the
interests of our citizens and companies on both sides. Any potential
deal should not only preserve our interests, but also respect the
integrity of the European Union and its single market.
For any deal to take effect, democratic
oversight institutions on both sides of the Channel must be able to
carry out a meaningful assessment, as stated in the Withdrawal
Agreement. The European Parliament recalls that its consent to any deal
will only be granted after detailed scrutiny of the legal provisions.
The European Parliament will not accept having its democratic oversight
curbed by a last-minute deal beyond the end of October.
Signed by EP group leaders:
Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE)
Iratxe GARCÍA PEREZ (S&D, ES)
Dacian CIOLOŞ (Renew, RO)
Philippe LAMBERTS (Greens/EFA, BE) co-chair
Ska KELLER (Greens/EFA, DE) co-chair
Raffaele FITTO (ECR, IT) co-chair
Ryszard LEGUTKO (ECR, PL) co-chair
Martin SCHIRDEWAN (GUE, DE) co-chair
Manon AUBRY (GUE, FR) co-chair
and by the UK Coordination Group:
David McALLISTER (EPP, DE), chair
Bernd LANGE (S&D, DE)
Nathalie LOISEAU (Renew, FR)
Christophe HANSEN (EPP, LU)
Kati PIRI (S&D, NL)
Kris PEETERS (EPP, BE)
Pedro SILVA PEREIRA (S&D, PT)
Morten PETERSEN (Renew, DK)
Gunnar BECK (ID, DE)