Home David McALLISTER

I commend Michel Barnier and his negotiation team for the patience, flexibility and professionalism shown in these negotiations.

Swift progress is of the essence. An agreement needs to be reached within very few days if Council and Parliament are to complete their respective procedures before the end of the transition period. Democratic scrutiny is not negotiable.

This is the critical moment where principles need to be translated into rules and, more importantly, rules need to be guaranteed by a robust enforcement framework. We need to secure an agreement that tackles this and other remaining issues in the area of governance and fisheries.