BRUSSELS, April 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The European Parliament on Wednesday ratified the agreement on trade and cooperation between the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) in a 660-5 vote.
After hours of parliament debate, 660 lawmakers voted for the free trade agreement and five against, with 32 abstentions.
The UK joined the EU bloc in 1973 but announced to withdraw in 2016 after a referendum. The two sides failed to reach a deal before the Brexit transition period ended on Dec. 31, 2020.
The EU-UK trade in goods has been deeply affected by Brexit, according to latest figures published by Eurostat, the EU’s statistical office.
In the first two months of 2021, exports from the bloc to the UK fell 20.2 percent compared to last year, while the EU’s imports from the UK recorded an even sharper decrease of 47 percent.
The vote concludes the years-long Brexit process and opens a new era where close collaboration between Brussels and London is expected to coexist with constant wrangling and disagreements.
The deal, which has already been ratified by the UK, conditionally came into force on December 31, 2020, but has technically still been open to debate since then.
EU leaders lauded the move on Twitter, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen saying she “warmly welcomed” the decision and President of the European Council, Charles Michel, echoing her words, adding: “It marks a major step forward in #EU-#UK relations and opens a new era.”
The UK’s chief Brexit negotiator, David Frost, said he “hugely welcome the overwhelming vote” and hoped “we can now begin a new chapter together as Europeans, characterised by friendly cooperation between sovereign equals”.
The Briton also thanked the European Commission and his EU counterpart, Michel Barnier, for “helping get us here”. — NNN-AGENCIES