Speaking in the debate on the Brexit guidelines adopted by European leaders, ECR Group Vice Chairman Raffaele Fitto insisted that negotiations cannot be affected by a feeling of revenge, of punishment against the United Kingdom and its citizens.

Raffaele Fitto said: “Whatever the views in this House, there is one point we have to agree and be clear on: it is in the interest of both sides to achieve a fair and mutually beneficial agreement.”

“Our citizens must be our priority. We must find a settlement on citizens’ rights as soon as possible, so that we can further examine fundamental issues such as trade agreements.”

“What is at stake is much more than a simple regulation regarding the relations between the EU and a future third Country: there are issues that directly affect peoples' jobs, lives, families and safety. All this at a time of diverse and enduring terrorist threats. And we must keep that in mind.”

Raffaele Fitto also argued that the EU should seize the opportunity to discuss the future of the EU which needs an urgent reform.

Mr Fitto said: ”Now is the moment for a long hard look in the mirror: we should not simply take this as a sign that people want more of the same. People want a change of direction and practical answers.”

“We, the ECR Group, have long been in favour of a revision of the Treaties,  where we could establish a new framework for a more open and flexible EU.”

“Today, we now know that both the French President and the German Chancellor want to change the Treaties. However, saying that we need to change them is not enough: we need to know in which direction. If the direction brings less Europe, more flexibility, more tax competition, more respect for national parliaments, that is the right direction, which we have been backing for years. If on the other hand, as we unfortunately fear, the direction will be again more Europe, more rigidity, more forced fiscal harmonisation, more top-down diktats centralised  from Brussels, that would make the current situation even worse.”

Ends

Contact: Jan Krelina on +32 493 214346, jan.krelina@europarl.europa.eu

The ECR was created to take the EU in a new direction, according to the principles of our founding Prague Declaration. It is the third largest group in the European Parliament with 74 MEPs from 18 EU states.

For more information on the ECR, watch our promotional video at http://youtu.be/F5syQt1JuQI or visit our website: www.ecrgroup.eu