During the plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels, MEPs take stock of the progress made in the EU-UK negotiations on a new partnership and adopt a resolution which will serve as its input to the high-level conference planned for June, when both parties will meet to assess the achievements of the talks so far.

Recommendations on the negotiations for a new partnership with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: extracts from the debate

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, The Prime minister confirm that he does not want to extend the transition period beyond the end of this year. We, on our side, have always been ready to grant extension, but it needs two to tango and this means that we are now halfway through these negotiations with five months left to go.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, What we are not ready to do is to put into question our principles and the integrity of our Union. Because it is our duty to protect the interests of the European citizens.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, The level playing field. The fundamental issue at stake here is fair competition. We're ready and willing to compete with British firms. They are excellent and our firms excellent too. But it cannot be a downward competition. Just think of labour standards or environmental protection. It should be a shared interest for the European Union and the UK to never slide backwards and always advance together towards higher standards.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, On fisheries, no question the UK's no one questioned the UK's sovereignty in its own waters without any question. But we ask predictability and we ask for guarantees for fishermen and fisher women who have been sailing in those waters for decades. It is very clear that there cannot be a comprehensive trade agreement without fisheries, without a level playing field, or without strong governments governance mechanisms.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, Because these are principles at the heart of the European Union, fair competition, rising social standards, the protection of our citizens and the rule of law. This is who we are and it is not going to change.

SOUNDBITE (English), Kati PIRI (S&amp;D, NL), For this Parliament the comprehensive agreement means guarantees or fair competitions with clear social, environmental and labour protection. And this is what prime Minister Johnson and the EU sign up to only months ago in the political declaration. None of this should be anyway controversial: with zero tariffs and zero quota, comes logicly zero dumping. An ambitious and comprehensive future partnership is in the best interest of both the UK and the EU citizens.

SOUNDBITE (English), Christophe HANSEN, Level playing field doesn't mean the copy paste of our rules and regulations, but rather that we take our common point of departure as no point of regression. Following which we jointly manage future divergence to guarantee the equivant non necessarily identical rules for all players. We stand firmly behind the Commission's approach to pass for a comprehensive agreement. We reject the UK's piece meal sectorial approach as it is well known that salami tactics lead to a cluttered spaghetti bowl agreement. The implementation of the withdrawal agreement remains key and the European court of justice must remain the sole referee of EU law.

SOUNDBITE (English), David McALLISTER (EPP, DE), Yes indeed, the high level conference decided that new momentum is required for the negotiations. The EU is ready to intensify the talks in july to create a most conducive solutions for concluding an agreement soon. This should be in the interest of both sides.

SOUNDBITE (French), Michel BARNIER, Head of Task Force for Relations with the United Kingdom, After four years of negotiations, we see quite clearly, ladies and gentlemen, Honourable members, what the strategy is of the UK government. Firstly, it refused any discussion on important subjects defence, security and development. And I interpreted that as the idea of concentrating all the negotiations just into economic issues and the defence of those economic interests. And then afterwards, in that strategy of the UK, they tried to negotiate to a certain extent a status which would be very similar to the status of single market membershare per Schengen and the customs area without having any of the constraints or disciplines.

SOUNDBITE (French), Michel BARNIER, Head of Task Force for Relations with the United Kingdom, So that's cherry picking on rules of origin, mutual recognition, financial services, qualifications and data flows and electricity services. We are not going to accept cherry picking. The second part of the British strategy is to refuse any clear and strong commitments in the field of a level playing field so as to keep the freedom to move away from the rules of the Union. And that's why some say that's the very point of Brexit.

Recommendations on the negotiations for a new partnership with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: extracts from the debate

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