The EU and the UK agreed on a Brexit trade pact – politics –

Von der Leyen stated that they will continue to work with Great Britain on all points. They can still accomplish more together than alone. The agreement guarantees fair competitive conditions for companies on both sides and also provides for cooperation in areas such as climate policy, energy and transport. EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier also wanted to speak at a press conference.

According to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Britain has “regained control of our destiny” with the deal. “We will set our own standards,” says the curator. “I wanted to end any uncertainty.” The British Parliament will vote on the agreement reached with the EU on December 30. “This agreement means a new level of stability,” he says. “We will be friends, allies and supporters of the EU.”

Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) welcomed the agreement via Twitter. “We will now look closely at the agreement. I would like to particularly thank @vonderleyen and @MichelBarnier for their tireless efforts,” it read there. Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) also thanked Barnier, tweeting: “I welcome the successful conclusion of negotiations on future EU-UK relations. The agreement will form the basis for a future strong partnership and sustainable”.

European Minister Karoline Edtstadler (also ÖVP) immediately announced in a broadcast: “I welcome the successful conclusion of negotiations on future relations between the EU and the UK. The agreement is a solid basis for a strong partnership in the future”. His thanks go in particular to the EU negotiating team headed by President von der Leyen and Chief Negotiator Barnier. “The EU has shown that it is capable of finding constructive solutions even in difficult times.”

Economy Minister Margarete Schramböck (ÖVP) said: “I am pleased that an agreement was reached between the European Union and Great Britain at the last minute. This prevented further damage to our economy. Well-functioning trade relations need equal work partnerships. The UK is and will continue to be an important partner for us in Europe: Brexit is a farewell, but not the end of many years of good economic relations. “

The agreement guarantees fair competitive conditions for our companies and ensures the continuity of the movement of goods and services. All member states are now being asked to start the ratification process as soon as possible, “said Schramböck.

Mariana Kühnel, Undersecretary General of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce (WKÖ), considered the agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom, which had been agreed after long and hard negotiations, as “a message that will bring relief to the Austrian economy” .

This ensures that after the end of the transition phase on December 31, 2020, during which the British are bound by EU rules despite Brexit, there will be reasonably orderly relations rather than chaos in economic relations between the EU countries and Great Britain. “At least there is clarity and certainty in planning. Companies know where they are,” says Kühnel.

SPÖ leader Pamela Rendi-Wagner told the APA: “Of course, there is mainly relief with the deal. The worst of all options would have been a tough Brexit. A no-deal would have caused a lot of damage, for the population and the economy”. The EU and the UK. It is good that the British prime minister put an end to his populism and made concessions at the end of the negotiations. However, the process must be viewed critically in terms of democracy. Here, at the last minute, a 2,000-page trade agreement goes through the institutions. The Social Democracy will be very careful with the social and environmental consequences of this agreement. “

ÖVP MEP Othmar Karas wrote on Twitter: “@vonderleyen and @MichelBarnier were able to prevent #NoDealBrexit. The trade deal, which must be carefully scrutinized before the vote in the EU Parliament, cannot heal all wounds caused by the #Brexit leaves. “

SPÖ-UE delegation leader Andreas Schieder let it be known: “In the end, common sense prevailed. This last minute deal on a post-Brexit trade deal prevents a GAU, from which we got a preview of the truck convoy. of the last days “The chaos of the last days and the agreement too late” are the sole fault of Johnson. “He has stayed on his irresponsible course to the end.”

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU), who will hold the presidency of the EU Council until the end of the year, also welcomed the agreement. “I am delighted that the negotiators of the European Union and Great Britain have reached an agreement that clearly governs future relations between the European Union and Great Britain. This is of historical importance.” Merkel announced an intensive examination of the text. The cabinet will discuss this at a change conference on December 28.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD) noted that the agreement had not yet been finalized. “Of course, we will now examine the draft closely in the EU member states. The 27 EU member states and then the European Parliament must agree.” As president of the Council, Germany wants to do everything possible to see the agreement provisionally enter into force on 1 January.

French President Emmanuel Macron said “the unity and strength of the European Union” have paid off. The deal with Britain is key to protecting French citizens, fishermen and producers, Macron wrote on Twitter. “France will make sure this happens.”

The President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, announces the continuation of the dialogue with Great Britain on Gibraltar. Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin welcomes the agreement. The deal is a good compromise and a balanced outcome. The deal is the least bad version of Brexit that is possible.

Aircraft maker Airbus welcomed the deal in a first reaction. The exact effects on the industry have yet to be analyzed, but a no-deal scenario has been avoided. The British pound lost some of its gains against the dollar, down 0.3 percent.

Negotiators for both sides had previously concluded their ten-month negotiations. After the UK leaves the EU internal market at the end of the year, the agreement provides for trade without tariffs and without quantitative restrictions. The contract also includes fishing and cooperation in energy, transport, justice, police and many other topics.

The agreement provides for a transition period of five and a half years for the reduction of fishing quotas for EU fishers. As EU representatives said on Thursday, a 25 per cent reduction in catches was agreed with the UK during this period. Starting in June 2026, catch quotas should be renegotiated with Great Britain every year. Details on the affected fish species have yet to be decided, according to EU circles. In the transition period until mid-2026, EU fishermen would still have access to the fishing zone between six and twelve miles off the British coast. Barnier pledged to support EU fishermen.

Britain left the EU at the end of January and is only a member of the EU internal market and the customs union for a transition period until December 31. Then comes the economic breakdown. Without an agreement, more complex customs duties and controls would be necessary. Business representatives from both sides warned of the disruption and the loss of tens of thousands of jobs.

In reality, the negotiations should have concluded in October, but they dragged on. Several times they were on the verge of failure. Due to the short time, an agreement by the EU can no longer be ratified in time. It would have to be applied provisionally if all 27 EU states agree. On the British side, the government has announced that it will refer the matter to Parliament.

The agreement promises exports from Great Britain to the EU internal market without tariffs and without volume restrictions. However, for this, the EU requires fair conditions of competition, the so-called level playing field. What is meant are the same environmental, social and subsidy standards.

The issue remained a very complex point of discussion until the end. A way was sought to ensure fair competition for the future as well and to counter it in another way. It was not until Wednesday afternoon that it was finally said that all points related to a level playing field had been clarified.

Then there was one last sticking point that had been hotly debated for weeks: EU fishermen’s access to British waters. The clarification of the final details dragged on for many hours until noon on Thursday. Finally, a compromise was found here too.

The worsening corona pandemic in Britain had recently increased the pressure. After a mutated variant of the coronavirus was discovered, France temporarily closed its borders to traffic from the UK. That is why thousands of trucks got stuck on the British side, from the critics’ point of view, a preview of the situation in a no-deal Brexit.

British voters had voted in 2016 with a narrow majority to leave the EU. Prime Minister Boris Johnson won the parliamentary elections in 2019, among other things with the announcement that Brexit will actually take place. As a central point, he repeatedly mentioned the recovery of sovereignty and control over one’s own borders and laws./vsr/DP/jsl