European Parliament set to move closer to approving UK-EU Brexit trade deal

MEPs are set to move closer to approving the UK-EU post-Brexit trade deal this week, before a final vote takes place later this month.

The deal has been formally passed in the UK parliament, however it was only provisionally approved on the EU side by the bloc’s 27 ambassadors to ensure it came into effect when the Brexit transition period ended on 31 December.

The European Parliament wanted more time to study the 1,200-page text before approving the deal.

Parliamentary committees are set this week to approve the deal, which will bring it one step closer to formal approval.

The Financial Times reports that MEPs are set to give it the green light.

It comes despite concerns by MEPs around the ongoing situation in Northern Ireland and the UK’s decision to unilaterally postpone checks on goods going across the Irish Sea – a move which led to the EU launching legal action.

The European Parliament stopped the ratification process last month due to claims by Brussels officials that the UK had breached the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.

It now appears that MEPs have softened their stance as the UK’s defacto Brexit minister Lord David Frost and European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic close in on a resolution to the row.

Speaking earlier this week, the Prime Minister’s spokesman said: “Talks have been constructive, but there are still some significant differences that need to be resolved.

“We’re committed to working through the outstanding issues to restore confidence on the ground in Northern Ireland while respecting all dimensions of the good Friday agreement.”