Verbatim report of proceedings

Thursday, 18 April 2019 - Strasbourg

European Maritime Single Window environment (debate)

  Jill Seymour, on behalf of the EFDD Group. – Mr President, I appreciate the importance of this report in ensuring that reporting issues are streamlined. I am certainly pleased to see that the burden of red tape is finally being cut in the EU. However, my concern is the storage of data and the monitoring of its continued use. The EU is only as strong as its weakest link. The uniform transmission of data is not something that I could see as being beneficial to the UK ports, where the majority of UK ports are actually privately owned.

On a personal note, this may well be my last speech here in the Chamber. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the entire Parliament staff, including the ever-patient drivers, who have been polite and extremely helpful throughout my time here. Thank you so much.

I will always defend the right of those of you who wish to support the EU vision, if that is the desire of your country. I know many of you have struggled to understand why the UK wants to leave the European project. I will only say this: you should listen and find a way to communicate and be good neighbours, as the Brexit party is already leading in the polls.