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“Not everything is perfect, but a deal is better than no deal”
| Reading time: 3 minutes
Fact: agreement reached between Great Britain and the EU
At almost the last minute, the UK and the EU were able to reach a trade deal. This means that no-deal Brexit is off the table. The last point in the negotiations was catch quotas for EU fishermen.
Angela Merkel speaks of “historical significance”, Boris Johnson is happy to have regained control and subtly conveys a message, and German fishermen are angry. An overview of reactions to the Brexit deal.
Rand four and a half years have passed since the British voted to leave the EU. Now, after extremely long negotiations, the European Union and Britain have agreed to a Brexit trade pact on Christmas Eve. And at the last minute.
WELT summarizes the central quotes at the end of the deal.
The head of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen
“It took a while, but now we have an agreement. It was a long and rocky road. But the result is good. “
Prime Minister Boris Johnson
“We will be your friend, your partner, your supporter and, not forgetting, your number one market.”
“I think it is good business for all of Europe.”
“We have regained control of our destiny.”
When he announced his Brexit trade pact with the EU, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson recalled in fashion one of the most controversial negotiating topics. Lots of small fish adorned his dark tie when he announced the breakthrough in months of negotiations in London on Christmas Eve. Until recently, the access of EU fishermen to British waters was one of the most contentious issues between London and Brussels.
At a dinner between the head of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and Johnson, cooks in Brussels had recently served cakes on the subject of fishing: the main dish was scallops, on which a bitter dispute between France and Great Britain in the English Channel.
Chancellor Angela Merkel, CDU
“With the agreement we are creating the foundations for a new chapter in our relationship.”
“I am pleased that the negotiators of the European Union and Great Britain have reached an agreement and that future relations between the European Union and Great Britain are clearly regulated. This is of historical importance. “
French Head of State Emmanuel Macron
“European unity and stability have paid off.”
“Europe is moving forward and can look forward to a united, independent and strong future”
Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, Heiko Maas, SPD
“It was a marathon of negotiations, but in world record time and with a long final stretch. That much-cited extra effort was worth the effort. “
“We have finally seen white smoke come out of the negotiations, but the agreement is not yet finalized. As Presidency of the Council, we want to do everything possible to ensure that the agreement can provisionally enter into force on January 1, 2021. “
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Luxembourg, Jean Asselborn
“Not everything is perfect, but a deal is better than no deal”
Gero Hocker, German Fisheries Association
“December 24, 2020 will go down in history as a black day for European fishing, fishermen and their families, as well as for the coastal regions of Europe and Germany.”
“German companies are losing a historically developed status quo in the distribution of fishing rights, while British fishermen are the clear winners of the negotiations,” said Hocker. The result was also a “failure of the federal government, which failed to protect German companies from the effects of Brexit.”
Hildegard Müller, Association of the Automotive Industry
“With the result that has been released, the risk of a ‘no deal’ has been eliminated and companies can finally prepare for the implementation of a free trade agreement.
