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European Parliament agrees on conditions for approving Brexit

The UK remains an EU member until its official departure, and that entails rights and obligations

Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission EPA/PATRICK SEEGER

Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission

© EPA/PATRICK SEEGER

STRASBOURG, April 5. /TASS/. Members of the European Parliament have adopted a resolution on key conditions for approving the United Kingdom’s withdrawal agreement. The voting took place at Wednesday’s plenary session.

The document officially lays down the European Parliament’s key principles and conditions for its approval of the United Kingdom’s withdrawal agreement. Members of the European Parliament call "for both sides to act in good faith and full transparency so as to ensure an orderly exit." The document points out that "the UK remains an EU member until its official departure, and that this entails rights but also obligations, including financial commitments which may run beyond the withdrawal date."

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"An agreement on a future relationship can only be concluded once the UK has left the EU," the document adds.

Members of the European Parliament also warn "against any trade-off between security and the future EU-UK economic relationship, opposes any sort of cherry picking or a piecemeal economic relationship based on sector-specific deals, and reiterates the indivisibility of the four freedoms of the single market - free movement of goods, capital, services, and people."

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker insisted from the very beginning that the remaining members of the European Union should show unity facing the challenges that Brexit would bring. The resolution warns "against the UK engaging in bilateral talks with one or some EU member states on the withdrawal proceedings or the EU-UK future relationship."

Besides, members of the European Parliament stressed that all parties should "remain committed to the Northern Ireland peace process and avoid a hard border."

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