During the meeting of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO), MEPs&nbsp;debated with Guy VERHOFSTADT (ALDE, BE), EP Coordinator for the negotiations with the UK, on the State of play of the negotiations on Brexit, in the EP in Brussels.

Brussels

VERHOFSTADT, Guy (Renew, BE)

Brexit (T)

article 50 of the Lisbon treaty (T)

debate

meeting

Committee on Constitutional Affairs

State of play of the negotiations on Brexit: extracts from the debate with Guy VERHOFSTADT (ALDE, BE), EP Coordinator for the negotiations with the UK

SOUNDBITE (English), Guy VERHOFSTADT (ALDE, BE), EP Coordinator for the negotiations with the UK, The position of the EU is that before talking about the future relationship between the EU and the UK, a relationship that has to be an important and deep relationship, we need sufficient clarity about the withdrawal agreement that is foreseen on article 50 that is foreseen in the treaty.

SOUNDBITE (English), Guy VERHOFSTADT (ALDE, BE), EP Coordinator for the negotiations with the UK, The assessment is very clear, there is not enough progress today to say &lsquo;ok, we can go immediately to the phase 2 of the negotiations'.

SOUNDBITE (English), Guy VERHOFSTADT (ALDE, BE), EP Coordinator for the negotiations with the UK, In the proposal of the UK government on the &lsquo;settling status&rsquo; for the EU citizens in the future, that covers most of the rights that EU citizens have today. There is one big problem on family reunification, where the proposal of the settled status is far less than what is the actual status of today for EU citizens living in Britain.

SOUNDBITE (English), Guy VERHOFSTADT (ALDE, BE), EP Coordinator for the negotiations with the UK, What we are looking for in the EP as indicated in our resolution is no hardening of this (UK-Northern Ireland) border and also a system not only good also for the citizens, but also for those who are doing businesses and that opens the question where is the border then?

SOUNDBITE (English), Guy VERHOFSTADT (ALDE, BE), EP Coordinator for the negotiations with the UK, Beyond 2019 there could be financial obligations that are the result of commitments that have been taken before 2019.

SOUNDBITE (English), Guy VERHOFSTADT (ALDE, BE), EP Coordinator for the negotiations with the UK, So all this is still there, &lsquo;flying in the air&rsquo; and not recognised by both sides and certainly by the UK side, to be part of the financial settlement, so there the progress is very limited.