Verbatim report of proceedings

Wednesday, 18 April 2018 - Strasbourg

13.1. EU-Australia Framework Agreement (A8-0110/2018 - Francisco José Millán Mon)

Mündliche Erklärungen zur Abstimmung

  Jude Kirton-Darling (S&D). – Mr President, for all of the rhetoric at the Commonwealth summit this week, global Britain remains little more than a pipe dream, while global Europe is already a tangible reality. Our commonwealth partners are prioritising deals with the EU, while Brexit creates uncertainty in our relationships.

In ratifying this treaty today with Australia, the EU is broadening its reach down under. Today’s vote is about boosting bilateral cooperation on terrorism and serious crime, the environment and climate change, research and development; vital questions for our societies, and this is just the start. Trade negotiations with Australia are getting going.

Whether we in the UK want to remain a significant player with strong relations with our Commonwealth partners together with our nearest neighbours the EU, will be seen after March 2019. It’s in our hands and we shouldn’t think of throwing away tangible relationships for a pipe dream that is coming down the line.

  Daniel Hannan (ECR). – Mr President, I think it is telling to find my Labour colleagues using their positions in this Chamber to attack the links we have with our close Commonwealth allies and to spread what I am afraid to tell you, colleagues, is a completely bogus idea – that we might change our minds. The decision has been taken. But if a consequence of the UK’s renewed focus on forging closer trade relations with Australia is that the remaining EU27 do the same thing, that is very good news for everybody. The United Kingdom wants to have wealthy and successful neighbours. The best outcome for us is that the remaining EU should have free trade agreements with friends and allies on every continent. If it had been more willing to take that approach over the 40 years of our membership, I suspect we would not have got to where we are now.

  Jan Zahradil (ECR). – Pane předsedající, já nebudu pokračovat v této spíše vnitropolitické výměně názorů, která se týká primárně Velké Británie a brexitu. Já mohu vyjádřit jenom svoje potěšení nad tím, že smluvní základna mezi EU a Austrálií se prohlubuje po určité době stagnace, která trvala ne měsíce, ale možná léta, že se tady začalo konečně jednat o dohodě o volném obchodu a že jsou tady další dohody jako tato dohoda, které prostě přispívají k tomu, že si EU konečně uvědomuje, jak důležitým partnerem Austrálie v pacifické oblasti je. Mohu vyjádřit jenom naději, že to bude pokračovat.