[ad_1]
European representatives, in the form of the president of the European Commission and the main European Union (EU) negotiator for the Brexit process, speak of “relief” that the exit agreement has been reached before the effective deadline, which expired on December 31.
At a press conference in Brussels, Ursula von der Leyen contrasted her feeling about this agreement with what she usually feels in similar cases in Germany.
“At the end of successful negotiations in Germany, I generally feel joy. Today, I must confess that I feel calm, satisfied and relieved, “said Ursula von der Leyen this Thursday afternoon.
Recalling that “the EU and the United Kingdom will continue to work hand in hand to achieve their common objectives”, the President of the Commission guaranteed that the three main points of contention between the two blocs were ensured in the agreement known this Thursday 24 December. 2020.
Regarding competition, one of the issues that dominated the negotiations in recent months, the European leader guaranteed that “competitiveness in the single market will be fair and balanced” and that “European rules and standards will be respected.” Otherwise, “we have effective tools if competitiveness is distorted and has an impact on our trade.”
“We guarantee five and a half years of predictability for our fishing communities,” said von der Leyen, who also trusted that the mechanisms implemented will strongly drive the maintenance of this agreement in the fishing sector.
Michel Barnier, the main negotiator of the European bloc, took the opportunity to thank everyone involved in the process, something that Ursula von der Leyen had also expressed, focusing on her English counterparts.
“Today is a day of relief, but also a day of sadness, when we compare what we had at the beginning of this process with what follows,” Barnier said. The French diplomat stressed that it was an arduous process, but he was satisfied with the guarantee of peace in Ireland and the protection achieved for the European single market.
[ad_2]
