Motion for a resolution - B8-0243/2017Motion for a resolution
B8-0243/2017

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on negotiations with the United Kingdom following its notification that it intends to withdraw from the European Union

31.3.2017 - (2017/2593(RSP))

to wind up the debate on negotiations with the United Kingdom following its notification that it intends to withdraw from the European Union
pursuant to Rule 123(2) of the Rules of Procedure

David Coburn, Beatrix von Storch on behalf of the EFDD Group

Procedure : 2017/2593(RSP)
Document stages in plenary
Document selected :  
B8-0243/2017
Texts tabled :
B8-0243/2017
Texts adopted :

B8‑0243/2017

European Parliament resolution on negotiations with the United Kingdom following its notification that it intends to withdraw from the European Union

(2017/2593(RSP))

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU),

–  having regard to Articles 3(5), 4(3) and 8 of the TEU,

–  having regard to Articles 217 and 218 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU),

–  having regard to the notification given by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to the European Council on 29 March 2017 in accordance with Article 50(2) of the TEU,

–  having regard to its resolution of 28 June 2016 on the decision to leave the EU resulting from the UK referendum[1],

–  having regard to Rule 123(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.  whereas 51.8 % of UK voters (17.4 million people) voted to leave the European Union on 23 June 2016; notes that the turnout for this referendum was higher than for the last general election;

B.  whereas the notification by the UK Government to the European Council begins the irrevocable process by which the UK will cease to be a Member State of the European Union and the Treaties will no longer apply to it;

C.  whereas the withdrawal must be arranged in an orderly fashion;

D.  whereas it is the sovereign right of a Member State to withdraw from the European Union;

E.  whereas the UK stated in its notification of 29 March 2017 its intention to fall outside the jurisdiction of the Court of Justice of the European Union;

F.  whereas the UK Government indicated in the same notification that its future relationship with the European Union would not include membership of the internal market nor membership of the customs union;

G.  whereas Greenland left the European Economic Community in 1985 and Algeria in 1962;

H.  whereas the ‘Leave’ campaign was largely won on the issues of controlling immigration, repatriating powers and ending budgetary contributions to the European Union;

Conduct of the negotiations

1.  Respects the democratic will of the British people who voted to leave the European Union and take back control of their country;

2.  Welcomes the notification by the UK Government to the European Council formalising the UK’s decision to withdraw from the European Union;

3.  Calls for the negotiations between the European Union and the United Kingdom, provided for in Article 50(2) of the TEU, to begin as soon as possible and in an amicable manner;

4.  Notes that the European Union and its Member States are obliged to:

a) develop ‘a special relationship with neighbouring countries […] based on cooperation’ pursuant to Article 8 of the TEU;

b) progressively abolish ‘restrictions on international trade’ pursuant to Article 21(2)(e) of the TEU;

c) assist Member States ‘pursuant to the principle of sincere cooperation […] in full mutual respect […] in carrying out tasks which flow from the Treaties’ in accordance with Article 4(3) of the TEU, which must therefore include the Article 50 process itself;

d) prohibit ‘all restrictions on the movement of capital between Member States and […] third countries’ pursuant to Article 63(1) of the TFEU;

5.  Points out that it is in the interests of all parties for negotiations under Article 50 of the TEU to be conducted in accordance with the rule of law, with minimal economic disruption, both during the negotiations and thereafter;

6.  Believes that, in accordance with and pursuant to the above, the EU institutions, the Member States and the United Kingdom have a duty to enter into negotiations in good faith;

Thematic priorities

Free movement

7.  Notes that the free movement of people has contributed to wage compression, unsustainable pressure on public services and housing, the facilitation of cross-border crime and a worsened security situation in both the UK and Europe;

8.  Considers that any future agreement between the EU and the UK must not include the continuation of the free movement of people; considers that the continuation of the free movement of people would be a betrayal of the will of the British people;

Reciprocal rights

9.   Notes that it is estimated that approximately 2.9 million EU nationals reside in the UK and approximately 1.2 million UK nationals reside in another Member State;

10.  Believes, therefore, that a swift resolution on reciprocal rights of residence should be agreed as early as possible to reassure these nationals and not cause unnecessary disruption or distress; stresses that this issue must not become a major bargaining chip in negotiations;

11.  Emphasises that UK citizens who have resided legally in another Member States for five years or more are entitled to long-term resident status as outlined in Article 4 of Council Directive 2003/109/EC;

Budget

12.  Underlines that the UK contributes more to the EU budget than it receives in return; notes that the size of the current multiannual financial framework (MFF) budget in current prices is over EUR 1 trillion; points out that a 2015 Court of Auditors report estimated an error rate of 3.8 %;

13.  Underlines that, according to the MFF Regulation, the Commission must put forward by the end of 2017 its proposals for the post-2020 MFF, which should take into account the UK’s decision to leave the EU; stresses that this future MFF proposal should not include the UK’s contribution or entail any legal obligations on the UK regarding its liabilities;

14.  Stresses, furthermore, that if the Treaties cease to apply, as stated in Article 50(3) of the TEU, it follows that laws made under those Treaties, including the MFF Regulation, and the jurisdiction of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) must also cease to apply; underlines, therefore, that once the UK leaves the Union, there can be no legal obligation upon the UK to continue contributions to the present or future MFF;

15.  Considers that the various suggestions for financial settlements, including the note on liabilities for the Committee on Budgets, appear designed to inflate such figures in order to manufacture a non-existent bargaining chip in negotiations; rejects, therefore, the notion of any ‘EU divorce bill’ or other financial settlement, which has been widely discussed in the press;

16.  Stresses that if the UK wishes to remain part of any EU programmes, that it is a decision for the government of the day and any financial contributions should be decided on a case-by-case basis and applied in the same way as negotiations with third countries; notes for example that Israel has access to EU programmes as a third country without being a contributor to the MFF;

Trade and the single market

17.  Stresses that throughout the UK referendum campaign it was made clear by the UK Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and prominent ‘Leave’ campaigners that leaving the European Union would entail leaving the single market;

18.  Stresses that a country does not need to be a member of the EU nor even have a trade agreement with the EU in order to have ‘access’ to the EU’s single market; points out that in 2015 China, the United States, Russia, Japan, India and Brazil exported goods to the approximate value of EUR 864 billion to the EU; notes that none of these countries has ‘freedom of movement’ with the Union nor indeed a trade agreement with it;

19.  Stresses that Article 50(2) of the TEU states that ‘the Union shall negotiate and conclude an agreement with that State, setting out the arrangements for its withdrawal, taking account of the framework for its future relationship with the Union.’; believes, therefore, that as trade will be a crucial part of that future relationship, a trading arrangement must for all practical purposes be agreed as part of the negotiations;

20.  Welcomes the UK reasserting its voice and full rights in the World Trade Organisation;

21.  Welcomes the UK regaining full rights to negotiate trade agreements and pursue its own trade and foreign policy;

22.  Notes that the UK has a trade deficit with the European Union; notes that the UK market is the biggest importer of EU goods; calls, therefore, for a sensible and swift free trade agreement between the EU and the UK;

23.  Believes there is no barrier to the UK beginning trade negotiations with third countries and that as a matter of law those negotiations can be concluded with an agreement, provided that it is conditional upon the UK’s exit from the EU;

Final provisions

24.  Stresses that the negotiation must conclude with the jurisdiction of the CJEU ending in the UK;

25.   Considers that a final settlement on fishing rights will only be acceptable with full repatriation of fishing policy to the UK; stresses that the EU must enable the UK to assert its full independent rights to the management and conservation of its waters and the exclusive economic zone as outlined in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea;

26.   Notes that there is genuine concern among the people of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland regarding the possibility of a hard border being erected; stresses, however, that the Common Travel Area is not dependent on membership of the EU;

27.   Notes that there is genuine concern among the people of Gibraltar regarding the border between Gibraltar and Spain; stresses, therefore, that these withdrawal negotiations must not be used as a mandate to question the sovereignty of Gibraltar and introduce any obstacles along the border between Gibraltar and Spain;

28.  Believes that the UK’s exit from the EU could encourage other nations to also leave; recognises that leaving the EU has great economic and democratic potential;

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29.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.