Post Brexit Agreement: "The ratification of the resolution is a historic moment"

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April 27, 2021 The

, which could represent the pinnacle of our relations for the coming decades , or "the foundation of a strong and close partnership based on our shared interests and values".

This was stated today in Brussels by the President of the European Commission,

, speaking in front of the plenary of the European Parliament before the vote to ratify the Agreement in part of the Chamber, the result of which will be known in the afternoon.

The president of the Commission stressed that the TCA ("Trade and Cooperation Agreement") includes strong mechanisms to ensure that its terms are respected by both parties, a necessary guarantee given the repeated British attempts to violate or circumvent the other. Brexit Treaty, the Withdrawal Agreement, in particular on the issue of customs controls on goods in transit between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. "The agreement on which you are voting today - continued von der Leyen addressing the MEPs - is fundamental ('momentous', ed) for what it represents and for what it ensures. It represents unity, responsibility and solidarity with the within the EU to protect the interests of our citizens and of our Union ".

"In recent months - he observed - we have often talked about

. But as this House prepares to have the last word, I want to remember what it is. this agreement, what it does and why it is so important to make it work. Firstly, this agreement protects European citizens and their rights. It helps to avoid significant problems for workers and travelers, from the fishing community to the business community. " 

"Secondly - continued the President of the Commission -, it

. It ensures the solid level playing field to which this Parliament has always given priority. And it guarantees high levels of protection on everything from social and labor rights, to environmental protection, tax transparency and state aid. Thirdly, the Agreement is truly incisive, with a binding mechanism for resolving disputes and the possibility of unilateral corrective measures where necessary.

"" Let me be clear: we do not want to have to use these tools. But - von der Leyen warned - we will not hesitate to use them if necessary. They are essential to ensure full compliance with the TCA and the Withdrawal Agreement, which have both been negotiated in such detail and agreed upon by both parties.

"Brexit is a warning, but also a failure of the EU. Why did 52% of Britons vote against Europe? It is our duty to listen to social anger, which should not be confused with populism." Barnier said during the discussion in the European Parliament of the trade and cooperation agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom. "The British who chose Brexit - added Barnier - had to take on the numerous consequences, sometimes poorly explained and underestimated" and which led to "leaving the single market". "I remember the words of Jo Cox", said Barnier referring to the British parliamentarian murdered in 2016, "who said: we have much more in common than what divides us, there are many more things that unite us than those that separate us" .