EU parliament adopts tough Brexit ‘red lines’
The Strasbourg-based parliament is the first EU institution to formalise its stance on the Brexit talks and sets the hard-line tone for negotiations
Strasbourg — The European Parliament on Wednesday overwhelmingly adopted tough "red lines" for negotiations over a Brexit deal, on which EU legislators will have the final say in two years’ time. The parliament largely followed EU President Donald Tusk’s draft guidelines issued last week after British Prime Minister Theresa May formally triggered the historic Brexit process. But they omitted any mention of the flashpoint issue of Gibraltar, unlike Tusk’s guidelines which said that Spain should have the final say over whether any eventual trade deal applies to the British outcrop. The Strasbourg-based parliament is the first EU institution to formalise its stance on the Brexit talks, passing the resolution by 516 votes for, 133 against and 50 abstentions. "You will set the tone for Britain," the bloc’s Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier told MEPs just before the vote. The text insists that Britain must first make "substantial progress" on divorce terms — the rights of 3-million EU citi...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.