In the framework of the negociations with the UK following Brexit, the EU-UK Coordination group meets with Michel BARNIER, EC Head of Task Force for Relations with the UK and David McALLISTER (EPP, DE), Chair of the EP-UK coordination group, in the European Parliament in Brussels.

Brussels

meeting

BARNIER, Michel (FR)

McALLISTER, David (EPP, DE)

negotiations on future EU-UK relations (T)

EU-UK Coordination group: arrivals and roundtable with Michel BARNIER, EC Head of Task Force for Relations with the UK and David McALLISTER (EPP, DE), Chair of the EP-UK coordination group

Arrival of David McALLISTER (EPP, DE), Chair of the EP-UK coordination group, handshake with Morten PETERSEN (RE, DK).

David McALLISTER (EPP, DE), Chair of the EP-UK coordination group handshake with Derk Jan EPPINK (ECR, NL).

David McALLISTER (EPP, DE), Chair of the EP-UK coordination group taking place, looking at documents (2 shots)

David McALLISTER (EPP, DE), Chair of the EP-UK coordination group handshake with  Bernd LANGE (S&amp;D, DE) , INTA chair.

General views in the meting room (3 shots) 

Arrival of Michel BARNIER, EC Head of Task Force for Relations with the UK.

David McALLISTER (EPP,DE), Chair of the EP-UK coordination group welcoming Michel BARNIER, EC Head of Task Force for Relations with the UK.

General views in the meeting room, chairman opening the meeting (2 shots) .

View with the closing door, the meeting was In Camera.

SOUNDBITE (English), David McALLISTER (EPP, DE), This afternoon we had the first meeting of the new UK coordination group in the EP. We will continue the excellent work of the Brexit Steering group. We have slightly changed the composition of the group, there will not only representatives of the political groups, but also the relevant Committee chair: AFET, INTA, Subcommittee on Security and Defence, so Mr Tajani in his functions of Chairman of the Conference of Committee Chair will be invited on a regular basis. We discussed the current situation with Commission chief negotiator Michel Barnier, the EP will adopt a resolution with our expectations for the upcoming negotiations on the future relations between the UK and the EU in the next week in Strasbourg and the resolution should be adopted on the 12th of February.

SOUNDBITE (English), David McALLISTER (EPP, DE), Following the decision of the UK government to definitively not prolong the transition period, this means we have to conclude the negotiations by the end of October, beginning of November. This means we do not have much time, we need to prioritise to privatise, let's see how far we can get. One thing is clear: for us priority are on the one hand the trade relations and on the other hand the cooperation on security, internal security, external security and of course you also need a good governance structure.

SOUNDBITE (English), David McALLISTER (EPP, DE), The upcoming negotiations with the UK are extremely complex and the EP will be involved at very different levels. Nearly all Parliamentary Committees will be involved and the role of this UK coordination group is to actually coordinate the work which is happening in the EP's Committees on the one hand, and on the other hand also give a formal platform for the European Parliament to discuss the ongoing negotiations with Michel Barnier and his team. We have agreed with Mr Barnier that there will be briefings before each round of negotiations, and there will be de-briefings after each round of negotiations. This means that the EP is informed in an orderly manner at every stage of the upcoming negotiations.