The Brexit Steering group meets today in the European Parliament in Brussels. Statements are given by Michel BARNIER, EC Chief Negotiator for Article 50 Negotiations with the UK, and Guy VERHOFSTADT, Parliament's coordinator for the negotiations on the UK withdrawal from the EU.

Brussels

VERHOFSTADT, Guy (Renew, BE)

Brexit (T)

article 50 of the Lisbon treaty (T)

EU - United Kingdom (T)

meeting

BARNIER, Michel (FR)

Meeting of the EP Brexit Steering group: arrivals, roundtable and statements by Michel BARNIER, EC Chief Negotiator for Article 50 Negotiations with the UK, and Guy VERHOFSTADT (ALDE, BE)

Interior, Arrival of Guy VERHOFSTADT, Parliament's coordinator for the negotiations on the UK withdrawal from the EU, and first question to him

SOUNDBITE (English), Guy VERHOFSTADT, Parliament&apos;s coordinator for the negotiations on the UK withdrawal from the EU, I don&rsquo;t think there is room to do that for a simple reason that the Backstop is absolutely needed and this backstop is in the withdrawal agreement, but there is a possibility to discuss the future relationship, that is what European Parliament and European Union has always said. I&rsquo;m pleased that one of the amendments that have been adopted, the launching platform from some cross-party cooperation, that could lead to such a proposal to a much closer relationship then what is foreseen today in the political declaration.

SOUNDBITE (English), Guy VERHOFSTADT, Parliament&apos;s coordinator for the negotiations on the UK withdrawal from the EU, I think that the backstop is an insurance and an insurance is needed to be one hundred percent to be sure that there is no border between Northern Ireland and Irish Republic and we don&rsquo;t want ourselves that the backstop is used. It is like I said again a safeguard, I hope that cross party between Labour and the conservatives, between Ms May and Mr Corbin, finally, that we see emerging some proposal that could be backed by a majority in the House of Commons.

SOUNDBITE (English), Philippe LAMBERTS (Greens/EFA, BE), What was voted yesterday amounts to saying: we do not want any backstop, which is what it amounts to. Well we are not going to surrender the backstop or conversely that we accept that we will make no checks at the borders. Even though the UK might differently diverge in terms of social standards, environmental standards and that we should let 500 km door open into the Signle market without any checks, just as if you as a Brexiteer would say that we do not want freedom of circulation of people but we accept that will not make any border checks on people, would they do that? Of course not, so we should say we make no checks while you have already explicitly said you want to transform the UK in a massive dumping place.

Arrival of Michel BARNIER, EC Chief Negotiator for Article 50 Negotiations with the UK

SOUNDBITE (English), Michel BARNIER, EC Chief Negotiator for Article 50 Negotiations with the UK, Just a few words, the position of the European Union is very clear, it has been expressed yesterday by President Tusk and President Juncker will make a statement to Parliament this afternoon. Thank you very much.