Ahead of the eighth round of negotiations on a post-Brexit agreement, and with the end of the transition period drawing inexorably closer, progress is still not forthcoming, Christophe Hansen MEP, the European Parliament’s Trade Committee negotiator for EU-UK relations, is sounding the alarm:
“The European Parliament needs sufficient time to scrutinise the deal. Last June, this House massively backed a detailed Resolution expressing our unwavering support for a comprehensive agreement. The timely and faithful implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement, as agreed by both parties, is and remains a firm precondition. We stand by this and we will need enough time to scrutinise the deal against the backdrop of this Resolution. This means that we must receive a text by the end of October at the latest. This House will not just rubberstamp any agreement. The UK Government should not mistakenly believe that the ratification in the European Parliament will be the same walk in the park as it is expected to be in the House of Commons.”
“Compromises need to be found to avoid a mutually harmful no-deal scenario. If the UK still truly wants a deal, running down the clock is not an option.”