Brussels (AFP)

The European Parliament on Wednesday approved the trade agreement concluded by the EU with the United Kingdom, putting an end to the painful chapter of Brexit, in a context still tense between the two sides of the Channel.

At the end of the ballot, organized Tuesday evening, 660 deputies approved the text, 5 opposed it and 32 abstained, out of 697 voters, according to results announced Wednesday.

This treaty "marks the foundation of a strong and close partnership with the United Kingdom", reacted the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on Twitter.

The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, hailed the start of a "new era".

For his part the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, spoke of "the last stage of a long journey" between two trade partners of "vital importance, close allies and sovereign equals".

"Now is the time to look to the future and build a more inclusive UK," added the Tory leader.

The green light from MEPs on this trade agreement concluded in extremis on December 24th had become urgent: the provisional application of the text, effective since the beginning of the year, ends on Friday.

And the UK had ruled out any extension.

The ballot, after a five-hour parliamentary debate, is accompanied by the vote of a non-binding resolution, in which elected officials qualify Brexit as a "historic mistake".

They also ask to be fully involved in future discussions with London on the governance of this 1,250-page agreement, which Ursula von der Leyen promised on Tuesday.

- Confidence crisis -

Relations between London and Brussels have been deeply affected by the British decision to leave the single market, official since January 31, 2020 but effective only since the start of the year.

On the trade front, European exports to the UK fell 20.2%, while UK imports into the EU fell 47% in the first two months of 2021, according to Eurostat.

Added to this is a crisis of confidence between the two partners, after several Downing Street decisions calling into question the previous agreement concluded with the EU, the 2019 Brexit Treaty, which organizes the divorce.

The Europeans criticize London in particular for having violated the Irish protocol contained in this treaty, by postponing certain customs and health checks that should be carried out between the British province of Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom, in order to avoid the return from a border to the island of Ireland.

In protest, MEPs have long delayed the time to set a date to give the green light to the trade deal.

"Faithful implementation (of the treaty) is essential", insisted on Wednesday Ms von der Leyen, who has already assured that the EU "would not hesitate" "if necessary" to use the planned unilateral compensation measures against London. by agreement.

Other sticking points remain unresolved on both sides of the Channel, such as the recent dispute over the supply of AstraZeneca vaccines, or the threat Tuesday from France to take "retaliatory measures" against British financial services if the post-Brexit agreement on fisheries was not implemented.

© 2021 AFP