Fianna Fáil MEP Barry Andrews has declared an end to the Brexit era.
Ever since the initial vote was carried in June 2016, arguments about how exactly the UK will withdraw from the European Union led to unprecedented political gridlock within the UK.
After an agreement was reached in late 2020 and the subsequent economic uncertainty which followed, the vote and associated turmoil has been largely seen as a black mark on the UK’s international reputation.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Commisssion President Ursula Von Der Leyen met on Monday to reset UK and EU relations on security and defence, bringing back the Erasmus programme, co-operating on border controls, and reducing trade barriers on food safety.
Closer to home, MEP Andrews said it marks the end of the Brexit era.
“It’s the first true step of the EU-UK ‘reset’, both sides have agreed to deepen cooperation in a range of areas, including security and defence, trade, and energy. The agreement is worth billions in economic benefit to both sides,” he said.
The Fianna Fáil MEP said that the agreement has a tangible benefit for Ireland, saying “linking our emissions schemes protects Ireland’s single electricity market and ensures the integrity of the Windsor Framework is upheld.”
“It is great to see Brussels and London continuing to work together for the benefit of everyone on these islands.’
MEP Andrews and several other MEPs wrote to President Ursula von der Leyen and Trade Commissioner Maroš Sefcovic last week, calling on the European Commission to approach the summit with ‘maximum ambition’.
They also called on the UK to give ‘serious consideration to some form of dynamic alignment’, which, in plain English, means that MEPs want the UK to be able to co-operate with the EU on certain schemes.
‘”These agreements shows that the scars of Brexit have faded,” Andrews said.
“The EU and UK are like-minded allies in a changing world; we are stronger together. I hope this agreement lays the groundwork for many more years of deep cooperation and engagement between both parties for the benefit of all our citizens.”