2 Written explanations of Jean LAMBERT

I abstained on the vote on ‘sufficient progress’ but voted for the final resolution as it contains important principles for the second stage of negotiations for leaving the EU.I would have wanted greater progress on citizens’ rights, negotiated in a spirit of generosity and not only reciprocity. That may be ambitious in the light of the British Prime Minister’s obsession with reducing immigration and her creation of a hostile environment policy. I believe we should put the interests of individual citizens and their families first. We should improve the rights of UK citizens in terms of entry of non-UK spouses, for example, rather than lowering the entitlements of EU27 nationals. I remain to be convinced that the future of carers and others who may be viewed as ‘economically inactive’ is secure: nor am I convinced that treating UK nationals currently resident in the EU27 as third-country nationals will be as positive as the Commission suggests. I am pleased that the resolution recognises that more needs to achieved on citizens’ rights.On the Irish border issue, I believe the principles are sound but that the British Government wants two mutually exclusive results that are of constitutional significance for the UK.

We need to be very clear today that any granting of GSP+ to Sri Lanka should not be seen as a reward but as a mutual commitment: the EU offers certain trade benefits designed to help the country’s development, in exchange, the Government of Sri Lanka undertakes to improve implementation of the 27 International Conventions it has ratified in the areas of labour rights, environmental protection, human and civil rights – these are international norms which will do much to improve the daily lives of all living in Sri Lanka, not least through the improvement of the justice system.After much consideration, I have voted against today’s proposal for rejection of GSP+. This is not because I believe all is well in the country – I know it is not: much needs to be done in terms of reconciliation and a post-conflict political settlement, among other changes. But I do want an ongoing process designed to ensure the delivery of genuine implementation because I am not naive about Government promises. GSP+ gives us a framework where, if one party does not deliver, the other can call time on the deal – as Sri Lanka understands.