On Monday 19 May, the European Parliament political groups welcomed the political agreements reached in London between the EU and the UK, covering fisheries, defence, youth mobility and energy (see EUROPE 13643/1).
Speaking on behalf of the EPP Group, Spain’s Nicolas Pasqual de la Parte said that “the agreement signed (...) in the field of security and defence marks a decisive step towards re-establishing the strategic cooperation that is indispensable in addressing the global challenges we face”.
Nina Carberry (EPP, Irish) praised “a welcome return to practical and cooperative EU-UK relations. Linking emissions trading schemes, making progress on agri-food standards and fisheries, and the prospect of the UK rejoining Erasmus+ are all common-sense steps that will deliver for people and businesses alike”.
On the subject of fisheries, Isabelle le Callennec (EPP, French) said that “the fact that we have made an agreement on fisheries a prerequisite for the other subjects to be negotiated with the British, for whom Europe remains the leading trading partner, is a real satisfaction”.
The Renew Europe group, through its president, Valérie Hayer (French), welcomed “a turning point in relations between the EU and the United Kingdom; Great Britain has once again become a reliable European partner”.
Bilateral relations “clearly need a solid structure that takes us beyond ad hoc measures, and that’s what this accord provides”, said the Italian MEP Francesco Torselli (ECR).
“The UK’s military, its intelligence services and its global reach are vital assets to strengthen our common European security in the light of the threats we face”, he added.
ASD (the European Aerospace, Security and Defence Industries Association) and ADS (the UK Aerospace, Defence, Security and Space Trade Association) issued a Joint Statement to mark the occasion. “So far, the absence of a formal EU-UK agreement on foreign, security and defence policy since Brexit has curtailed opportunities for synergies and scale, weakening Europe’s collective defence potential. While the agreement is an important step forward, further detail and ambition are now needed, particularly on industrial collaboration, to fully realise its potential”.
Link to the ASD and ADS Joint Statement: https://aeur.eu/f/gwk (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)