Following the submission of Article 50 today Syed Kamall, Chairman of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group, said:

"This is an important day for the United Kingdom and for the EU. I hope that all parties involved will treat the negotiations calmly, constructively and in a spirit of co-operation. We must all keep in mind that at the heart of these negotiations are people's lives and livelihoods.

"It must not be about winners and losers. A bad deal for one side will also be bad for the other. We should aim for an arrangement that safeguards trade and allows continued co-operation in key areas of mutual interest for our security and economies.

“The ECR Group believes that Brexit is also an excellent opportunity for genuine EU reform. The call for a more flexible Union which better serves the interests of its members and citizens has never been stronger and the ECR Group will keep leading the movement for change.

"As Chairman of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group and a UK Conservative MEP I will do all I can to help secure a fair agreement, acting as a bridge between key individuals in Brussels and the UK Government. 

"I am confident of the outcome and look forward to a future in which both the UK and the EU thrive as close friends, allies and trading partners."

Ends

Contact Robert Taylor
Head of Media, Conservative MEPs
robert.taylor@europarl.europa.eu
Mobile +32 498 984 760

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