Michel Barnier at ESCP

Описание: Dear ESCP students,
For many reasons, I am happy to be here before you today in this chamber that is the heart of European democracy. https://www.eudebates.tv/tag/brexit/ #eudebates #Brexit #EuropeanParliament #UnitedKingdom #VoteBrexit #BREXITDeal #NoDeal #BrexitDebate #BrexitChaos #tradeDeal
And I should like to congratulate you on coming here to work on the climate issue, one of the foremost challenges that the European Union must address, and the priority of the European Commission presided by Ursula von der Leyen.

I want to talk to you today about another European challenge: our relationship with the United Kingdom.

When I graduated from the ESCP in 1972, the UK was preparing to join the European Union.

At the time, our school was beginning to expand in Europe. Its first foreign campus opened in London in 1974.

When I see what the ESCP has become, not just in Paris and London but also in Berlin, Madrid, Turin and Warsaw, I sometimes tell myself that my degree has gained in value!

And I'm sure that my years as a student on avenue de la République helped to strengthen my commitment to Europe.

In 1972, that commitment led me to campaign for the UK to join the European Union.

Of course, I regretted the British people's decision in 2016 to leave the EU, even though I have always respected it.

With the 27 Member States, the European Parliament, the European Commission and the exceptional team I have around me, we have sought – and found – arrangements to ensure the orderly withdrawal of the UK, a country with which we wish to maintain a strong relationship.

I was recently invited to speak on the morning show of a French radio station.

The first listener asked me a question, which he said was ironic: ‘You've explained to us that you've just spent three years negotiating an agreement with the United Kingdom. So why are you talking about opening a new negotiation?'

It's a good question!

It took us three years to negotiate the separation.

We endeavoured to address many uncertainties directly linked to this separation.

For EU citizens living in the UK and British nationals living in EU countries.
For promoters of projects financed by the EU.
And, crucially, for Ireland and Northern Ireland, where what was at stake was not just the economy and trade but peace and stability too.
The Withdrawal Agreement that came into force on 1 February 2020 settles all these points. It will allow the orderly dismantling of 47 years of economic and political integration, which is what the UK wanted.

Since 1 February, the UK is a third country. It no longer has members in this Parliament, no longer has a seat in the Council of Ministers and no longer has a European Commissioner.

But we have made provision for a transition period until 31 December 2020, during which the UK will remain in the single market and the customs union and benefit from all European policies.

During this period of status quo, nothing will therefore change for citizens, consumers or businesses on either side.

We must now make the best possible use of this short period of stability.

To implement the Withdrawal Agreement precisely and rigorously, in particular the provisions concerning citizens and Ireland and Northern Ireland.
To prepare for the new situation that will come into being on 1 January 2021.
And to conduct a second negotiation, one on our future relationship with the UK.
Ladies and gentlemen,

That is the objective of this new negotiation that we are going to open next week and for which the Member States yesterday gave us a detailed mandate.

We will need to rebuild everything; build an ambitious and lasting partnership with a great country that will remain our friend, our ally and our partner. This is also the spirit of the resolution that has been voted here in the European Parliament.

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