EU Parliament rejects UK demand for parallel Brexit talks

The European Parliament on Wednesday rejected UK demands for parallel exit and trade talks, supporting the European Union's insistence on phased negotiations and indicating Britain faced a tough two years towards Brexit.

In a motion that was debated by MEPs, the parliament threw it's weight behind the EU's by 516 votes to 133. The legislators said that without a firm exit deal the UK would leave on 30 March 2019, and would do so in a "disorderly manner".

It also warned the UK that future talks could not involve any trade-off between internal and external security, including defence cooperation, and a future trade deal as outlined by Prime Minister Theresa May in Britain's initial negotiating document last week.

The parliament's chief negotiator Guy Verhofstadt said the motion made clear that it wanted the EU to be "very firm towards the UK authorities" because it could not allow it to receive more favourable terms outside the union.

"But, on the other hand, you see in the resolution that we are very generous, open, positive towards UK citizens. That is clear in a number of points. First of all, we want the problem of residents solved immediately," he told a news conference after the vote.

The parliament also agreed that any transitional arrangements after Brexit should only last up to three years. These should "contain the right balance of rights and obligations for both parties and preserve the integrity of the European Union’s legal order, with the Court of Justice of the European Union responsible for settling any legal challenges".

Ireland was recognised in the motion as the member state most affected by Brexit and that the "special circumstances" it faced "must be addressed in the withdrawal agreement" and called for "the absolute need to ensure continuity and stability of the Northern Ireland peace process and to do everything possible to avoid a hardening of the border".

Earlier in the day, the parliament's chief negotiator Guy Verhofstadt described Brexit as a “catfight in the Conservative Party that got out of hand”.

Speaking in the debate, Verhofstadt suggested that “perhaps it was always impossible to unite Great Britain with the continent”.

“Let’s not forget: Britain entered the union as the ‘sick man of Europe’ and - thanks to the single market - came out of the other side. Europe made Britain also punch above its weight in terms of geopolitics, as in the heydays of the British empire,” he said.

Chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier said he expected talks to be “transparent”, adding that demands for Britain to honour its financial commitments was just “settling the accounts – no more no less”.

“A single financial settlement, as a result of UK commitments to the EU, and the EU commitments to the UK, there your resolution is very clear. We do not seek to punish the UK but simply ask the UK to deliver on its commitments and undertakings as a member of the EU," he said.

Pro-Brexit supporters have bridled at suggestions that the UK will be hit with a large final bill to be reconciled before progress is made on any other issues.

The MEPs said any overall agreement should address:

• the legal status of EU citizens living or having lived in the UK and of British citizens living or having lived in other Member States, as well as other provisions concerning their rights;

• the settlement of financial obligations between the UK and EU;

• the EU’s external border;

• the clarification of the status of the UK's international commitments undertaken as a member of the EU, given that the EU of 27 Member States will be the legal successor to the EU of 28;

• legal certainty for legal entities, including companies;

• the designation of the Court of Justice of the European Union as the competent authority for the interpretation and enforcement of the withdrawal agreement;

Parliamentary members will not be holding talks directly, but will have to ratify any deal between the European Union and UK.

Britain voted to leave the 28 member bloc in a referendum last June.