THE post-Brexit trade deal between the EU and the UK has cleared its final hurdle after the European Parliament overwhelmingly voted to back it.
MEPs in Brussels gave their consent to the deal by 660 votes to five, with 32 abstentions.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the vote and said the Trade and Co-operation Agreement “marks the foundation of a strong and close partnership with the UK”.
But in an acknowledgement of EU concerns about the Prime Minister’s approach to deals with Brussels, she warned that “faithful implementation is essential”.
The UK and EU are at odds over the way the earlier Brexit divorce deal is being implemented in Northern Ireland.
Relations between the EU and UK 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.
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Most of the uneasiness around the protocol relates to Great Britain having left the single market for goods, while Northern Ireland remains in the EU regulatory zone.
This means there are now a significant number of checks on agri-food goods arriving into Northern Ireland from Great Britain. This decision was made to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland.
Johnson said: said: “This week is the final step in a long journey, providing stability to our new relationship with the EU as vital trading partners, close allies and sovereign equals."
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European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic welcomed the vote to back the post-Brexit trade deal.
“Democratic scrutiny will continue to be key in its implementation,” he said.
“And unity among EU institutions and across member states will remain a cornerstone of our EU-UK relations.”
Mr Sefcovic has been leading the work with the UK's Brexit Minister David Frost to resolve issues around Northern Ireland caused by the post-Brexit arrangements.
Frost said he hoped the vote would mark the beginning of a "new chapter" in UK-EU relations.
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