 Good evening, dear colleagues, we are now back from our break and we are about to begin with our debate on the EU-UK agreement and territorial consequences of Brexit. We have the great honour to have with us Mr. Loïc Chesne-Girard, the President of the Regional Council of Brittany and Chair of the COR Contact Group with the UK, and Sadeh Khan, the Mayor of London. Dear colleagues, Mr. Barnier informed us about the impossibility for him to join us today, a circumstance which we fully understand since negotiations with the United Kingdom concerning the trade agreement are still ongoing. I have nevertheless decided to keep our exchanges, since more than ever the specific needs of regions and cities must be spelled out. And no deal, a hard Brexit is not an option for us. Today, we will hear the concerns of many elected politicians. In Flanders, new customs procedures will affect the fluidity and the fried flows. German regions will face trade disruption of transport vehicles and machinery. Ireland will be the most exposed, with 14% of its trade exports going directly to Britain. There, the prevention of a hard border is essential. And I welcome yesterday's agreement on the implementation of the withdrawal agreement and protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland, which will also guarantee a specific role to Northern Ireland's devoted administration. In this context, we suggest the use of territorial and cross-border cooperation tools, such as the European grouping of territorial cooperation and interag, because we can really reach to some certain goals using them. Dear colleagues, it is of extreme importance to assure that all regions directly affected by the territorial consequences of Brexit can count on the adjustment fund of 5 billion euros proposed by President Michel. Also, for this reason, we need the multi-financial framework, the MFF, to be adopted now. As a political assembly, we look forward to enhance our partnership. And I would like to thank Loïc Chesne Girard, who chairs our contact group for framing a way forward and making a merge of fresh occasions for establishing new partnership with our British colleagues. And we also welcome today the Mayor of London, Mr. Sadiq Khan. Dear Mayor, let me start by reiterating. I will always respect, but deeply regret, the democratic decision of the British people. Having studied in London and lived for several years, I have always had a personal affinity with your city. London will always be a European city that champions diversity, openness, innovation and opportunity. Dear Mayor, even after the current endgame is played out, it will take many more years to establish new boundaries and understand what this separation and its consequences will mean for all of us and our communities. There are no winners, no winners from Brexit. As regional and local leaders, we need to come together. In the spirit of European cooperation, we need to assess the impact of Brexit together and hold our governments to account to protect communities and livelihoods. We need to continue to cooperate on global issues, such as the pandemic, immigration, demographic change, the climate change. Our committee, the Committee of the Regions, is open. As London is open. We are open to you and every local leader from every British city, local authority or devolved administration to work together. It is true dialogue, compromise and multilateralism, not inward-looking nationalism, that we best represent the interests of our citizens. Let me propose to you today, Mayor, that each year we invite the main city, local government associations and devoted administration leaders together to share experiences and unite in areas of mutual interest. We must support cooperation between our universities, our regions, our civil society and small and medium enterprises, and have a vibrant partnership that is vital in responding to climate change and delivering the sustainable development goals. Only by cooperating, dear colleagues, dear mayor, only by coordinating our efforts and pulling our resources, we can best meet the needs of our citizens beyond Brexit. Your participation today is a first step of fruitful dialogue, building not unraveling decades of friendship and cooperation with mayors and regional leaders from all across the European Union. So with great pleasure, I now give you the floor. I thought it was the mayor of London, Mr. Sadiq Khan, who spoke first, but if I understand well, it's my turn. Yes, it's you who spoke first. Okay, thank you very much and happy once again, dear President Siti Kostas, happy to see you here as well. Welcome. On your side, I hope that we will all meet physically very quickly. We are in the last straight line of Brexit, whatever the issue of negotiations, there will be impacts. You said it, Mr. President, impacts in a different way depending on the territory. We will all be impacted, but with more or less violent shocks, asymmetrically, in the different regions of Europe. And being President of the British region, close to the United Kingdom, I can tell you that we know well that we are going to undergo significant shocks at the beginning of the next year, whether there is agreement or not. I also know that many other colleagues all over Europe will be concerned as much as I am. Thank you again, Mr. President Siti Kostas, for having allowed the creation of the Negotiations Committee, the discussion between the group of contacts, sorry, between the regions of the Union and the United Kingdom. We have already organized two meetings, two meetings of work, which allowed us to feel the collective desire that we all had to continue to work to prepare for the future, to keep some links between our territories, to build bridges and build strategies that will allow us, beyond this separation, to democratically want, but that we all regret, to be able to continue to work, to reinforce collaborations between the United Kingdom and the European Union, and of course all our collectivities, all our regions that have a lot of links that do not want to see dissolve in the coming years. It is a challenge for us to work on it. We have the responsibility to work now and not to let ourselves be distracted by the complicated, complicated period for Brexit, by Brexit, complicated too, of course, by the Covid that we all suffer. The meetings have already been held for two times. We will continue in the next weeks and in the next months. We all know that we have to work together, work solidarity. These are the values ​​that are ours, and of course to stay united behind the negotiators, and behind of course Michel Barnier, who is excused today, the negotiator-in-chief, who assumes the responsibility of this negotiation on the side of Europe at 27. We could have lived a clash, we could have lived tensions, we could have lived bilateral negotiations based on such or such specificities in our member states and in our territories. We are all left united. It is important, I believe, and it is important to stay united like this, and the corollary of this unity is solidarity. Solidarity between us all, solidarity between the regions that will suffer more and those that will suffer less. Solidarity, of course, of the European Union against these regions. And at this point, it is important to make sure that things are in place very quickly. We are waiting a lot for the adjustment reserve. It has been announced. It must be in place very quickly. It is welcome, of course. When I say very quickly, it is from the beginning of the year 2021 that there is an agreement or not an agreement because there will be changes and shocks. I think of many subjects that we live in our territories. And above all, I repeat that this reserve is managed in a decentralized way, as we wish the European deputies. The European deputies had expressed a very clear wish. It is that the regions of Europe manage the solidarity reserve. The adjustment reserve, sorry, it is not necessary that this adjustment reserve goes back to the national capital. The management by the national capital does not seem to be conformed to the parliamentarian wishes and is not conformed, of course, to the regions that we are in. And I think that European capital has many other subjects on which it must be concentrated and consecrated currently. This is an important point. The other important point is, of course, the sums, 5 billion for the moment announced. We will see how things are organized, but I believe that we are far from the point. Is it always convenient to redress our ambition of solidarity, our ambition of having a Europe that protects, that says it and that does it. It is a very important job and of course to make sure that we keep very nice relations with our friends from the UK. We will be delighted to hear in a few moments Mr. Le Maire de Londres and as the President of CityCostas said, we have the ambition, of course, to continue the work, to create links, always links, to prepare the future and the multilateral relationship between all of our territories. Thank you all and see you soon. Thank you, President, for your kind words as well. It's an honour to be able to take part in this plenary session today. I thought when I was preparing this speech that there might be a trade deal agreed now between the UK and the EU, but alas, it looks like the negotiations are not only being pushed to the wire, but are in a very precarious state, as you said. So I must start by urging all sides to keep on talking because there is so much at stake, not just for London and the whole of the UK, but for cities, regions and countries across Europe. It would be a massive mistake of historic proportions to give up at this stage, to simply walk away because the negotiations have become too hard. If a trade deal cannot be reached in the next few days, then I'd urge Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the EU to extend the transition period. This would be the obvious, right and sensible thing to do. A no-deal outcome should simply not be an option. It would be a lose-lose situation of both the UK and the EU, costing jobs, reducing growth and hitting living standards across Europe. It would also be a huge political failure at the worst possible time, just when we're at a crucial point in our fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Every region across Europe is in the middle of both a health and an economic crisis on an unprecedented scale. This means that all our efforts should be focused on getting through these enormous challenges together, not preparing for the devastating consequences of a no-deal Brexit and the further economic and social damage this would cause. So I must take this opportunity to call for calm and wise heads to prevail over the key days to come. However, the main reason I wanted to join you today was to talk about how despite Brexit we can continue to work together across our regions. I come with this message as an ambassador for London, but also as a friend, a colleague and a proud European. It's no secret that I campaign for Britain to remain as part of the European Union. The EU is an institution like no other in the world and it's an institution that I'm proud of my country was a part of for so many years. There are many Londoners like me who will never forget the extent to which it's been a force for good in the world and how much it's achieved for us from workers' rights and environmental protections to entrenching equal pay and the rights of women. And that's why I'll continue to campaign for us to have a closer economic and political relationship with our EU friends in the future. But Brexit has now happened and even though it's difficult and disappointing for many of us in London, I believe we have an obligation to look to the future, not the past and to strive to work together as much as possible on our shared challenges across our cities, regions and countries and that's why I see a big part of my job as ensuring that London remains a key partner for Brussels and every European city, region and nation. Even though we're no longer part of the Union, we will forever be connected. Our histories are intertwined and I believe the same can be true of our futures. There's common interests, we can all unite around and there are shared challenges we can and must meet together, whether it's on how we can tackle air pollution and the climate emergency, how we can build our cities and regions back better, fairer and greener following this terrible pandemic, how we can fight terrorism or how we can create more equal inclusive cities at a time where nativist populism and the politics of division is on the rise across Europe. So friends, let me just end with this. Even though we're going through extremely gloomy and grueling times on many fronts, I'm optimistic that London, the UK and the EU all have bright futures ahead of us and that the historic bonds that we've established over many years can and will endure. In London, we'll always consider ourselves part of the European family. Our connection and collaboration is rooted in mutual interests and common values. We will always be open and welcoming to people from across Europe to live, work and study in London. And I know that with the right approach, we can continue to achieve remarkable things together as we go forward. Not only for the cities, countries and institutions we represent, but crucially for the people we serve. It was Erasmus, a name that now embodies European cooperation and understanding who famously said, fortune favours the audacious. And now at this turning point in European history, it's time for us to be audacious and bold with our approach to a post-Brexit Europe. And this means now more than ever, putting aside the animosity, differences and anger that many expect and working together across our regions to find solutions that bring hope and prosperity to us all. Thank you. Thank you very much for your coming for really inspirational intervention. You're really inspiring intervention. I would like now to give the floor to Mark Speisch for two minutes. Mark, you have the floor. Thank you very much, Mr. President. Mr. President, Mr. President, Mr. Girard, Mr. Mayor, thank you very much for your introduction, which gave us a glimpse into the future. I wish everyone here today would have been all the good things for the negotiations that are taking place now. It would be really good if we could come to an end with a deal. That we already feel the consequences today is all of us in pain. We are in a situation in my own region, in North and Westphalia, where we already feel the consequences of Brexit today. In 2015, Great Britain was the third most important trade partner for our region of North and Westphalia, with an export volume of a total of 14 billion euros. In 2019, that has already sunk to 10.7 billion euros. You can see the uncertainty that has accompanied the process led to the fact that economic relations have already changed, reorganized, to the harm of our relations. That is why I would like to also, as Mayor Kahn has done, to look forward and especially because he has reminded Erasmus von Rotterdam, the great European, has a view on science, on research relations, because here, also after the Brexit, on the other hand, Brexit is a great future for our relations. We currently have over 270 cooperation partnerships with our region and university institutions in the United Kingdom, and for many it is the financing through programs of the European Union of very special and decisive relevance. Science lives from exchange. The United Kingdom remains an attractive goal for European students and researchers, and at the same time the exchange with research institutions of other countries is an important pillar for the excellence of the British research landscape. Both sides therefore have to have a fundamental interest in the progress of this relationship and we should work together on that. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. The floor now to Michael Murphy for two minutes, please. Thank you, Mr President. Understandably, Mr Barney couldn't make it to today's debate. Let me take this opportunity to again reaffirm our support in the crucial days ahead as a deal or indeed no deal hangs in the balance. Throughout the, I suppose, the last four years since the Brexit referendum focus far Ireland and ultimately other countries, our regions was also always going to be about preparedness. Deal or no deal, an urgent focus on readiness for the end of the transition period is now urgently needed. As chair of the Econ Commission, we want to ensure a close analysis of the trade patterns with the UK and that the Brexit adjustment reserve is fine tuned. The reserve is not meant to be just a fisheries fund, but instead must be used to make sure all extra exposed regions and sectors are financially supported. The BAR needs to be predictable, rapid and flexible so it can have the optimal impact. We welcome the agreement in principle between the co-chairs of the EU UK Joint Committee on the withdrawal agreement. We look forward to the follow up in law to ensure the continuity of peace on the island of Ireland. We stress an inclusive place based approach to assessing the sectorial fallout of Brexit. Mr Khan, we do need an ever closer collaboration between and amongst EU and UK local and regional authorities. The CUR UK contact group is a great vehicle to monitor this impact. In conclusion, the double whammy of a pandemic and Brexit threatens to undo years of positive results of EU funding and make poorer regions poorer and richer. I thank you for your commitment and look forward to the exchanges. Thank you. The floor now to Maria Isilda Gomez. Good afternoon, dear Mr President and fellow colleagues, a special greeting to my colleague Sadik Khan, which well is the home to one of the largest British-worn populations outside the UK, a community of more than 40,000 people, most of them in Algarve. And this number has doubled since Brexit was decided in 2016. Every year the region of Algarve and the city of Portimao, in particular, welcomes thousands of British tourists, which are the main tourist market of the region, representing around 40% of the foreign tourists in our region. Also the UK is the home to 400,000 Portuguese workers and students. Concerning these economic, social and political bonds, a no deal could have a negative impact for the economy and impose restrictions of these citizens. For example, it will highly affect air travel and the buying power of the British visitors and residents, which will have a huge economic impact on a region like the Algarve whose economy mainly depends on tourism. That is why I think that it's very important that the committee discuss and supervise this issue, which can profoundly affect the economy recovery of many of our regions. The economic recovery after the pandemic will depend to a large extension on tourism, so we must not miss this opportunity. I think the agreement needs to take into account these local and regional realities. We need our doors to remain as open as possible. Thank you. Thank you very, very much. The floor now to Prime Minister Elio de Rupo. Prime Minister, you have the floor. And his attitude does not allow us to be clear in the future of relations between the European Union and the United Kingdom. And this situation creates great uncertainty for thousands of companies and hundreds of thousands of workers who are afraid of losing their jobs. However, uncertainty is a great economic and psychological poison. For my region, the United Kingdom could represent up to 5,000 unemployed people. I would also say that at the European level, the exchanges between the European countries and the United Kingdom are essential. For the same reason, my dear President, the vaccine currently insinuated to the United Kingdom comes from Europe. As by the way, the first Minister of the Federalist Party, Jean-Luc-Claude Croix. Dear colleagues, you may know that my region, the United Kingdom, has an important legislative power that provides it with the faculty to accept or not to accept international trade agreements. To be clear, I would not hesitate to ask my parliament to use its veto right, as was the case for the CETAS, if the future trade agreements with the United Kingdom would turn red lines fixed by my government and by most of the European Union countries. I would also urge the need to find an agreement in the interest of the European regions that will be the most proportionately impacted, I think particularly in my region, the Flandre. Here, my dear President, I would like to greet our friend, the mother of London, who is an open city around the world, and especially in Europe, and greet the great work of Michel Barnier. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. The floor now to Mikyel Riesbenderman for three minutes. Thank you, Mr Chair. Mr Barnier is not here today for obvious reasons. He is now negotiating, I think, the last hours out of the period since the referendum, which is some 40 months. We are now, I think, in the last 40 hours of the period until the deadline, and we really need to know what the agreement between the UK and the EU will be. Of course, I feel that there will be an agreement because having no deal breaks it, I feel is not an option. Mr Barnier, I would have been here, I would have liked to discuss with him the different subjects he is negotiating now, like the different logistics at the seaports, at our airports, like the level playing field, the trade we are going to do together, especially the Irish border and fisheries. Those latter two subjects really affect the lives of many very directly, especially in Ireland where even peace is at stake. So we feel that the negotiations Mr Barnier is doing is very important, and because nothing is decided until everything is decided, this is, of course, of major importance, and we still don't know. Actually, we don't know anything, I would say, for what the outcome of these negotiations will be. So I wish him good luck, and I hope that he will have a good deal for both sides of the future border. On the other hand, I am very happy that Mr Barnier is here today. As an administrator of the Amsterdam metropolitan area, I can see that we have deep ties between the mainland of Europe and the UK. We have strong cultural ties, we have economic ties, we have a lot of ties between our people, people who live in Amsterdam and have their family in the UK and vice versa. This, of course, goes for many countries across Europe, and we feel that we should keep these ties, even if at what we at the national level might feel that it is an acceptable decision of the British people we need to accept, but a decision we find very hard to respect, because it's obviously, to a lot of people in the Netherlands, folly to leave the EU, even risking a no-deal Brexit. So I would really like to offer to Mr Kahn that our cooperation from Amsterdam, from the Netherlands, and I think I speak for most people in Europe, and we say that we want to keep cooperating on cultural, economic, and on social levels as much as we can, because we feel the British people are part of the European family, and we should try to keep our family close. Thank you, Mr Chairman. Thank you very much. The floor now to Jura Drobach for two and a half minutes. Kieran McCarthy for two minutes. Yeah, thanks, President, and thanks, Mayor Kahn. On behalf of the European Alliance Group, many thanks for your contribution here this afternoon. There are strong historical and personal connections between my city of Cork and London, and I still hope, and I certainly hope that they will actually continue and grow even stronger. There are 10 return flights from my regional airport in Cork every day, and they're still going to be there even post-Brexit. A number of years ago, our group, the European Alliance, held a meeting in Roneymead, and while it's their Heathrow, it's more famous for the Magna Carta, a treaty which is cherished by many British people, but more importantly, a charter which created peace and protected rights. That is why we welcome the agreement and principle on the implementation of the withdrawal treaty and the protocol in Ireland, Northern Ireland, which has, as its background, the need to preserve peace and the integrity of the island of Ireland economy. Let's hope that the meeting tonight between the British Prime Minister and the Commission President steps forward the Brexit process. My wish is, though, that we do not penalise our young people for the madness of a few elites who painted the sight of a bus with fictitious numbers. We need to find a way and that we recognise their diplomas, allow people to work and live in the UK or across the EU. Democracy needs to be respected, but it needs to be on the basis of truth, fact, and honesty. For the people of Scotland, Northern Ireland, and London, in the partnership of nations, it is strange the nations did not have a voice. We also, the EU, has fantastic programmes, and I am afraid that over 40 years of cooperation will develop at a slower pace if we do not have Verizon and Interag or Erasmus. Hence why I do support the call of our President here this afternoon for a meeting of minds to see what practical steps can be developed between the EU regions and the UK regions. Many thanks, Mr President. Thank you very much. Is Mr Droba ready now? You're right, Droba. Two and a half minutes. Can you hear me? Two and a half. Dear President, dear Mr Khan, dear colleagues, the aim of the transition period was to reach a new and fair partnership for the future. Regardless of the outcome of negotiations, Brexit will create new ways of trading in goods and services, cross-border mobility, and new exchanges. Everyone on both sides will be affected, and so must prepare for the change. It is crucial that support is provided to local and regional authorities that will mostly be affected by Brexit. Thus, we very much welcome the announcement of Brexit Adjustment Reserve, amounting to €5 billion in support for those countries and sectors which are most affected. In my country, Slovakia, the British investments have covered sectors producing rubber and plastic, metal, and motor vehicles. A no-deal Brexit would disrupt and hit hard our industry, translating into a loss of jobs and investment capacity in the amount of €4.5 billion. Therefore, trade together with transport and coordination of social security standards are the top priorities of the Slovak Republic on the way to a joint agreement. On a more personal note, we from former Eastern Europe feel particularly sad for the UK leaving the EU, but it's just the fact of life, and we hope that the UK may be leaving the EU, but is definitely not leaving Europe. However, given the current secret circumstances, we would like to learn if there will be joint emergency measures at the EU level, which will be adopted in case of no-deal. If so, in which sectors, what is the scope and what's the time frame of these measures? Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Bernd Woos, for two minutes, please. Yes, thank you very much. Thank you very much, Mr President Girard, very much, Mr Oberbürgermeister Zardikan. Of course, I would also like to see the decision to Brexit as a greener. I come from Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost region of Germany, and only the North Sea trends and so on, the long, long historical connection between our regions. But we have the democratic decision to respect the follow-up vote. And it is important that the conclusion of the region with its contact group keeps the dialogue between the regions and the communes upright and on fire. Very much, Mr Oberbürgermeister Zardikan. And I hope that many regions and cities, even though Great Britain is no longer in the EU, will continue to strengthen together and continue their cooperation. Those who have the Brexit with a lot of populism will have a hard time to implement their promises. And it meets all values. The Kingdom, as well as the rest of the EU. You have already said it, Dr. Speich, very, very clearly. What does that mean for Germany? And I was, but also now, with the negotiations, with the pressure to leave a bad outcome in the last few meters. That would be dangerous for the economy and society, long-term damage and would be water on the mills of the populists in other countries. The EU must not throw its principles here at all in this Nervenkrieg. And it must be assured that when it comes to free trade, standards, fair competition standards, are ensured and maintained. Destruction, sanctions, there must be a struggle. And there must be no hindrance for tricks. And it must also be closed with things like the binding law, where the fire will be played. A North-Earland outcome is questioned. And this is ultimately also a risk-free outcome. Brexit is a particularly major economic and social challenge for the Netherlands. And we must be solidary with our Irish friends. But many other regions in Europe are affected. And as a last word, a little optimism. The best green offer for an outcome is that we remain in the EU together. Thank you very much. And the floor now to the mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Toskowski. Hi, Sariq. It's good to see you. London has always been European and always will be European. Unfortunately, we know our populists quite well in our cities. We observe them every other day. And I wanted to tell you that Brexit does not make sense economically or politically. But at the end of the day, we will do everything to prevail. I mean, of course, Brexit is a result of manipulation of populism, of years of scapegoating and so on and so forth. But what we need to do is we need to create a real political alliance with or without a deal. Because there is ample room for cooperation with London, with other British cities and regions. And I think that that's exactly what we should do. We should cooperate, we should create a political alliance to continue cooperation in questions such as climate change, digital transformation, students exchanges and so on and so forth. And we can do it. We cooperate with the cities in the neighborhood and we should have even stronger links to London because London needs to remain European. And of course, you know, those populists are here, those populists are in most of our countries, but they will not last forever. And that's why I wanted to tell you, Sadiq, that you can count on us and the Committee of the Regions should be a focal meeting point for all of us, for the British cities, for the British regions and all of us from the European Union in order to keep the cooperation going. We need you guys and you need us. Good luck. Thank you very much, Rafa. I would like to give the floor now for his reaction to the Mayor of London. Sadiq Khan, Mayor, you have the floor. Thank you, President. Can I just say how emotional the last few minutes have been, the last half an hour, the last 40 minutes, to have from our friends in Europe warmth, affection, fraternity at a time when, frankly speaking, I'm embarrassed at the way my government has dealt with negotiations with the European Union. The reality is, and you said this, President, in your introduction, no outcome in relation to negotiations, no outcome can be better than what we had over the last few decades. But what's been really inspiring about the last half an hour, 45 minutes, is between us, we're already coming up with solutions through the cities and regions to make sure that we can continue our friendship, as Rafael, my good friend, has said just before me. And that ingenuity that Europeans have always shown is going to be needed. And I just remind you by way of ending, yes, we may have had the first vaccine in yesterday, yesterday being administered in London. That vaccine was invented by Germans and manufactured in Belgium. And that's just one example of the greatness us Europeans can do when we work together. So thank you very much for the work the Committee of Regions does. I will reassure you that London will always be open, open to friendship, open to business, open to people. And I'm looking forward to people to people working together, business to business, our universities, our civic society, and us leaders of cities and regions. Mayor, can I really hope and I wish to come private as soon as one day in the UK so that you can bring back the United Kingdom into the European Union. We will certainly want that. Thank you very much for your time. And let us now move dear friends and colleagues to our next speakers on that matter. I would like to give the floor to Alexandra Dulkiewicz for one minute please. Thank you. All the colleagues who are working with me in the UK Contact Group, I just would like to stress the fact that our relations, our local relations and relations in our regions, no matter whatever will happen should be strong and we should keep, not only in touch but we should also keep our relations. I just would like to say only one example because you may say that Poland is quite far away and Gdańsk is quite far away but Gdańsk is the biggest, the biggest harbour in the Baltic Sea also working for the whole European trade. And no matter what will happen, this will be real difficulties without this tragedy, this talks and without the agreement. So all of us, we should do whatever is possible to keep the UK as close as it is possible to the Europe. Thank you. Thank you very much. The floor now for one minute is to Brigitte O'Neill, please. Dear colleagues from the ADR. First of all, I would like to say that I would like to thank Michel Mandier for his previous negotiations with the United Kingdom. Over 95% of the negotiations could be agreed under his smart negotiations. That was hard and good work. There are three topics left which are now on the highest political level of the Prime Minister and the British Prime Minister. Lastly, it is about the political base question like a possible close cooperation with the declared British target of sovereignty to be agreed on. This question has to be answered by the British Prime Minister. Do we not forget that he himself signed the political statement in October 2019 which is known to the level playing field. If negotiations now go down, I would ruin everything. A hard Brexit is left unsolvable even though the expression is strict with regards to the United Kingdom. Do we not wish that there could be a international action before the gates of the binnenmarkt for our social and environmental policy? Is it necessary to trade at all costs? It is necessary that the risk verhandlungen einzugeen vielen dank thank you very much the floor now to maria angeles el orza subiria for one minute si mis primeras palabras son para agradecer el trabajo de michel vanier y de todo el equipo negociador que le ha acompañado a lo largo de estos semanas y que todavía ahora continua en negociaciones esperemos que nos lleven a buen puerto estamos atrás semanas del 1 de enero de 2021 decir atrás semanas de un nuevo acuerdo de un nuevo marco perdón de relación con el reino unido cual pues sinceramente y desgraciadamente a día de hoy no lo sabemos y eso añade máxima incertidumbre a un momento que es ya muy muy complicado no podemos deshacer el brexit pero desde luego lo que podemos y debemos es tratar de rebajar la incertidumbre y generar confianza necesitamos ofrecer a la ciudadanía los operadores económicos a la comunidad científica investigadora información relevante veraz y fácilmente compresible sobre los cambios que se avecinan sobre los planes de contingencia si es que estuviéramos en el peor escenario o sobre las nuevas reglas del juego a aplicar en adelante creo que la comisión ha de hacer un gran esfuerzo de comunicación y desde luego por la parte que representa el gobierno vasco estamos dispuestos a colaborar en ese esfuerzo para informar y acompañar a nuestros operadores en un momento de cambio gracias es que recaso gracias the floor now to Patrick's farts kiffer for one minute vielen dank sehr geehrter président veta büger meister dieser debat es eine traurige und verbitternde debat de besprechen ja über dem berg sit und seine folgen man spricht sehr viel über die wirtschaftlichen folgen von berg sit natürlich berechtigt worüber aber weniger gesprochen wir sind die gesellschaftlichen folgen aus unserer region sind viele ins veranlichter könig reich gezogen und ein neues leben gestartet familien gegründet nach dem brexit bin ich mir sicher dass sie weniger zonk weniger kontakt zu ihrem heimatlad haben werden was in vielen kleineren ortschaften ein weiterer shit richtung das ende des gesellschafts lebenswert die negativen folgen von brexit kennen wir aus diesem grund hoffe ich dass die aktuelle streit über das budget und next generation EU gelöst wird und man es vermeiden kann dass in paar jahren ein solches gestrich mit dem büger meister von budapest stattfindet vielen dank thank you very much the floor now to allen out of an morsel for one minute thank you mr. president as a member of the contact group and dutch delegation i would address briefly two points the first point is that continuing planning is now more important than ever also continuing planning in the UK is necessary despite all the good and intensive preparations within the EU disruptions might occur secondly in the Netherlands we have close economic styles with the UK a no deal scenario will have serious consequences for certain sectors and for local and regional economies therefore local and regional authorities should be involved in the creation and distribution of the brexit adjustments reserve it's essential that the reserve can be used in a short period of time to help alleviate the consequences in most affected sectors and region we must prevent the rise of unemployment rate and the bankruptcy of local regional and national businesses thank you thank you very much the floor now to paula fernandez viana one minute the floor to elizabeth nebreda villa for one minute thank you mr president dear mayor dear colleagues hoping for the best prepare for the worst and unsurprised by anything in between wrote a once Maya Angelou those words came to my mind after the decision of the british government to withdraw the clauses of the uk internal market bill that jump or die the withdrawal agreement and the protocol on north and island this is a positive step however as miss von der leyen said trust is good but law is better and there are still too many open fronts to fight let me be clear for katalonia and the government i represent reaching a deal is key we are deeply worried about the consequences that no agreement scenario would bring about for around 19 000 katalons in the uk and britons in our universities and research centers nonetheless we understand that the deal can't be at any price we must put the interest and needs of our citizens at the center and also guarantee the right and the willingness of scotland and north and island to remain in europe muchas gracias the floor now to pola fernandez viana one minute okay then our last speaker for today for one minute mr peter kaiser wichtig ist das sich auch mit jener der europäischen union des ausschusses der regionen auf alle fälle gemeinsam weiterentwickeln lässt ich bin auch der meinung dass wir einen einen sanften brexit brauchen er würde die wenigst nachteile für alle bringen gleichzeitig aber dürfen unsere prinzipien jedenfalls nicht verwässern entscheidend für mich ist auch dass die ideen einer friedensunion in diesen deal nicht gefährdet werden die eu hat eine lange tradition als friedensbereich der ausschuss der regionen weiß ganz besonders wie wesentlich und wichtig das ist ich möchte darauf verweisen dass insbesondere die bildungs zusammenarbeiten die bereiche der jugender rasmusprogramme für uns ganz wesentliche bestandteile einer zukunft sein werden bei der ich hoffe dass das allerletzte wort in der geschichte auch im verhältnis groß britannien zu europa noch nicht gesprochen ist in den siehle wie nie der deal wir brauchen eine lösung eine lösung mit europäischen prinzipien thank you very much the floor now to our colleague mr. hablo takt så mycket jag tror att det är viktigt att de här förhandlingarna leder till stat om trovärdigheten för medborgarna EU ska finnas kvar mot unionen för EU bör koncentrera sig mera på dem övergripande med frihandel och fri röllighet eftersom jag en liten region i europa oland var egen lagstiftning spörehet som så blandar man sig för mycket i små frågor istället för se till stora så därför är det viktigt att förhandlinga leder till stat annars toppar europeiska befolkningen trovärdigheten för EU tack så mycket let me try one more time miss meanna fernandez is available now okay does anyone else want the floor okay let me inform you that even if michelle barnier could not be with us today he has sent the strong political message i was saying that even if michelle barnier could not be with us today she has sent a strong political message that will be included in the press release that we will have after the debate is over which is very important so let's go back i think we had miss fernandez disculpar y agradecerle esta deferencia presidente agradecer que en este pleno ola abremos del brexit y agradecer también como digo esta diferencia y disculparle coincido que es un tema de enorme relevancia para las regiones europeas y de manera especial para las regiones atlánticas como es mi región cantaria un 25% de la actividad global del puerto de santander está relacionado con el reino unido siendo el más afectado el que lleva a cabo el britán israelis con sus 250 mil pasajeros al año y todos los vehículos que mueve todos los puertos atlánticos están preparando para contrarrestar los posibles efectos duros del brexit en el caso de cantaria el objetivo es que las líneas que conectan santander con el reino unido no sufran un impacto significativo y que las operaciones no se la lentísimo se deterioren las regiones atlánticas compartimos la ambición de crear la macro región atlántica que aparte de ofrecer un marco más estructurado para la cooperación dentro de la unión podría abrir la puerta a la participación de países y regiones terceros como el reino unido nos gustaría que esta idea se tuviera en cuenta a la hora de implementar el futuro marco de relaciones como el reino unido que salga de la negociación que esperemos que pueda salir muchísimas gracias y nuevamente mis disculpas gracias no problem we understand thank you very much and so bianco is our last speaker for one minute grazie presidente grazie di cuore al sindaco di londra per il suo bellissimo intervento io personalmente vivo questo problema perché mia moglie e cittadina londinese ed e anche cittadina italiana mi sente mi sentite ring grazie di cuore il sindaco di ring grazie di cuore il sindaco di londra per il suo bellissimo intervento io vivo personalmente questi problemi perché mia moglie e cittadina italiana nata londra ed e cittadina britannica e anche gli inglesi che hanno la doppia cittadinanza in questo momento stanno vivendo problemi molto molto seri posso fare una domanda dal profondo del cuore al sindaco di londra pensa che fra qualche tempo fra qualche anno possa i britannici possono cambiare opinione e con una iniziativa politica molto forte e anche composita ritornare a un idea di rientrare nel nel nell europe è un sogno che coltivo spero che ci siano le condizioni politiche so che non è facile ma sognare qualche volta fa bene grazie very much we will convey your question to the mayor dear colleagues we now have a break until five o'clock p.m. brasil's time we will resume at five p.m. with the debate with commissioner vaneli on neighborhood and enlargement so see you in one hour and 15 minutes at five o'clock p.m. thank you very much