EU lawmakers approve post-Brexit trade treaty
EU and British leaders on Wednesday welcomed the European Parliament's vote in favour of ratifying the post-Brexit trade deal between the European Union and Britain, the last major hurdle that had to be cleared for its full implementation.
"[The] vote brings certainty and allows us to focus on the future. There will be much for us and the EU to work on together," British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a written statement, the dpa news agency reported.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the agreement "marks the foundation of a strong and close partnership with the United Kingdom" but stressed that "faithful implementation is essential".
European Council President Charles Michel heralded the start of a "new era". "The EU will continue to work constructively with the UK as an important friend and partner," he wrote on Twitter. Since London's departure from the EU single market at the end of 2020, relations between Britain and the EU have further been strained by disagreements on the application of Brexit agreements and on Covid-19 vaccine supplies.
The EU accuses the British side of reneging on its agreements on special trade rules for Northern Ireland by unilaterally extending a grace period for their full application. The European Commission has started legal action, and the two sides are in talks to resolve the dispute. France has also been pushing for the full application of fisheries' agreements with Britain.
Despite the concerns, an overwhelming majority of the EU legislature backed ratification. Out of the 697 EU lawmakers who cast their vote on Tuesday evening, 660 were in favour, five were against and 32 abstained, the legislature's President David Sassoli announced.
The more than 1,000-page treaty covers not just commercial relations, but also competition rules, fishing arrangements, and the future terms for cooperation on policing and justice, transport and energy.