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Green light from the Twenty-Seven to the post-Brexit agreement

2020-12-29T19:25:48.688Z


On Wednesday, it will be the turn of the EU leaders and Boris Johnson to formally sign the text. Correspondent in Brussels It was a decisive step for the implementation of the post-Brexit agreement from January 1. It was passed successfully and without the slightest hitch. At the end of a written procedure launched on Monday, the twenty-seven Member States unanimously approved the partnership agreement with the United Kingdom on Tuesday. Several countries - such as Germany or Sweden - had to


Correspondent in Brussels

It was a decisive step for the implementation of the post-Brexit agreement from January 1.

It was passed successfully and without the slightest hitch.

At the end of a written procedure launched on Monday, the twenty-seven Member States unanimously approved the partnership agreement with the United Kingdom on Tuesday.

Several countries - such as Germany or Sweden - had to first obtain the approval of their national parliament.

In the last few meters, we did everything to secure the deal with the UK and that it can be applied on a provisional basis.

I am glad that everyone in the EU agreed.

By joining forces, it was possible to avoid a chaotic change of year

», Welcomed the German Foreign Minister, Heiko Maas, while Berlin still chairs the Council of the EU for a few days.

Read also:

Michel Barnier: "The Brexit agreement must be the basis for lasting cooperation"

Since the weekend, European diplomats have taken the green light from the twenty-seven capitals for granted, as if after months of hard work, everyone wanted to see this exhausting soap opera end as quickly as possible.

There will be no surprise,

” one of them confided.

The debriefing meetings we have had with the Commission over the past few days have gone well,

” said another.

The ball is now in the court of the British Parliament, which is due to vote on the text on Wednesday.

And again, barring a surprise, there will be little suspense since Boris Johnson will benefit from the reinforcement of part of the Labor vote.

The heads of the EU - Ursula von der Leyen for the Commission and Charles Michel for the European Council - then the British Prime Minister will proceed to the formal signing of this agreement on Wednesday.

First in Brussels, then in London.

The treaty will therefore make the trip to be initialed by Boris Johnson.

Ratification in March

Thus ended these procedures carried out in extremis and intended to finalize the orderly departure of the United Kingdom from the EU.

The European Parliament is the big loser in this saga.

While, since the beginning of October, all the deadlines had exploded one after the other until the agreement reached on Christmas Eve, Brussels agreed to go through a provisional application of the agreement, therefore before the ratification of the text by MEPs.

They have given themselves several months to study it.

And the many committees that will look at these 1,200 pages - foreign affairs, trade, internal market, etc.

- will be keen to analyze them scrupulously.

The Commission expected ratification by February 28 at the latest.

The European Parliament said on Monday it would take place in March.

History not to be imposed a schedule.

The leaders of the different political groups have also warned about the precedent of this provisional application which "

should not serve as a model for future consent procedures

".

This can only be "

a unique exception

", they insisted.

Read also:

Brexit: the details of the new relationship between UK and EU from January 1

They will not be able to touch the text, but MEPs will analyze it more carefully than some capitals in recent days.

In particular, these "small" Member States which are not "equipped" to absorb such a technical document in such a short time.

At just 3 minutes per page, it takes 60 hours to read everything.

And 3 minutes per page is really a minimum for such a complicated text

, ”says an EU source.

The appropriation of the text is all the more delicate as it exists for the moment only in English language and in a version not legally consolidated.

It will take several weeks, even months, to have it in all the languages ​​of the EU.

The Council had only a few days to give its approval.

It has not been treated better than the European Parliament,

”sighs an EU diplomat.

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2020-12-29

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