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Emotional send-off to give way to unsentimental talks

By CHEN WEIHUA in Brussels | CHINA DAILY | Updated: 2020-02-01 10:44

The iconic MannekenPis in Brussels donned a festive dress on Thursday. Its white trousers, tailcoat and top hat made it look exactly like John Bull, a national personification of the United Kingdom.

When the night fell in the drizzle, the Grand Place in the heart of the city was illuminated in the colors of the Union Jack, the national flag of the UK. Bands were playing traditional British music.

They were part of the many activities in the Belgian capital marking the UK's departure from the European Union on Friday.

The European Council, made up of the leaders of the EU member states, adopted a decision on Thursday concluding the Brexit withdrawal agreement. It was the final legal step for the UK to leave the bloc after having been a member for 47 years.

The European Parliament voted on Wednesday night to ratify the Brexit deal, making the UK the first EU member state to quit the union.

It was a sentimental moment for many. "We will miss you-but we will always keep our friendship with you," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the British members of the bloc's Parliament on Wednesday.

However, Commission Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans said: "I've always thought that the country that invented common sense would return to common sense."

On Saturday, the three UK flags fluttering in front of the European Council, the European Commission and the European Parliament will be lowered and removed.

After the emotional days of this week, the EU and the UK will immediately embark on an 11-month transition period to negotiate details of their future relationship, including, in particular, a free-trade agreement, or FTA.

It was reported that the European Commission will publish a draft EU negotiating mandate on the future relationship with the UK on Feb 3.

Von der Leyen said on Wednesday that the withdrawal agreement is only a first step. "From now on, it is about our new partnership with the United Kingdom," she said.

While affirming her hope to forge a close partnership with the UK, she admitted that the EU has to sort out how to deal with the UK as "a third country".

The EU is considering an FTA with zero tariffs and zero quotas. Von der Leyen emphasized that the precondition is that European and British businesses continue to compete on a level playing field.

"We will certainly not expose our companies to unfair competition," she said. But she indicated that the FTA would not be as good as when the UK was a member state.

Manfred Weber, leader of the European People's Party, the largest political bloc in the Parliament, was quoted by Politico as saying that "we will only grant them access to our market if they respect the European rules".

Von der Leyen and other EU leaders, such as European Parliament President David Sassoli and chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, have said there is not enough time to negotiate a comprehensive FTA by Dec 31 and they may have to prioritize certain sectors such as climate change, fisheries and security.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that he does not want the negotiations to go beyond the end of this year.

 

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