Barnier declares Brexit is a 'failure of the European Union' ahead of trade deal vote

27 April 2021, 11:14 | Updated: 27 April 2021, 11:24

Michel Barnier has declared Brexit is a "failure of the European Union" ahead of the bloc's vote to ratify the trade deal made with the UK.

The EU's chief negotiator told the European Parliament: "This is a divorce. It's a warning, Brexit, and it's a failure - a failure of the European Union.

"And we have to learn lessons from it as politicians here in the European Parliament, in council, in the Commission, in all of the capitals.

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"Why did 52% of the British vote against Europe? There are reasons for that - social anger and tension which existed in many regions in the UK but also in many regions of the EU.

"Our duty is to listen and understand the feelings of the people."

It came as European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen warned the trade deal has "real teeth" and Brussels will not hesitate to take action if Boris Johnson breaches its terms.

She told MEPs on Tuesday that she hoped the EU would not have to use the measures contained within the agreement.

But she noted concerns that the UK had not yet fully complied with the terms of the earlier Brexit divorce deal and stressed "vigilance" would be required in future.

MEPs are preparing to vote on the Trade and Cooperation Agreement reached with Mr Johnson on Christmas Eve.

The deal has been applied provisionally since January 1 but requires the approval of MEPs - who are not expected to oppose it - before it can be ratified.

Ms von der Leyen said: "We know it will not always be easy and there is a lot of vigilance, diligence and hard work ahead.

"But, while today's vote is obviously an end, it is also the beginning of a new chapter.

"The choice is now whether today's vote will be the high-water mark of the EU-UK relations for the next decades, or whether we see this as the foundation of a strong and close partnership based on our shared values and interests."

Relations between the UK and EU have been strained over the application of the Northern Ireland Protocol, which governs the post-Brexit arrangements aimed at preventing a hard border with Ireland and was part of the divorce deal signed in January 2020.

Much of the disruption and controversy created by the protocol relates to the fact that Great Britain has left the Single Market for goods, while Northern Ireland remains in the EU regulatory zone.

That necessitates a significant number of documentary checks and physical inspections on agri-food goods arriving into Northern Ireland from Great Britain.

The UK has unilaterally extended grace periods covering areas of the economy including supermarket supplies and parcel deliveries to Northern Ireland from Great Britain, meaning post-Brexit checks are not yet fully applied - which has triggered a legal dispute with Brussels.

Ms von der Leyen said there was a need for "joint solutions" as "unilateral decisions will get us nowhere".

She said there had been "some progress" in talks between commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic and the UK's Brexit Minister Lord Frost.

She told MEPs: "In recent days and weeks, we have seen a new, constructive dynamic and we will continue to work closely with the UK to find constructive solutions that respect what was agreed."