UK Prime Minister Theresa May has called for a security treaty between the EU and Britain "to protect all EU citizens." European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said security ties between the two will be upheld.
Image: Reuters/R. Orlowski
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May: 'Europe's security is our security'
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British Prime Minister Theresa May on Saturday said a "bespoke" security agreement between the United Kingdom and European Union was needed to avoid "damaging and real world consequences" for people in both regions.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference (MSC), May said she recognized that there is currently no security agreement between any third country and the EU that "captures the real breadth and depth" of the UK and EU's relationship.
"We must now move with urgency to put in place the treaty that will protect all EU citizens wherever they are in Europe…To make this happen will require real political will on both sides," May said.
'Committed to Europe's security'
The British prime minister emphasized that the UK was still committed to Europe's security, but if no agreement was reached, speedy extraditions under the European Arrest Warrant "would cease" and information sharing would be hampered.
"It has always been the case that our security at home is best advanced through global cooperation working with institutions that support that, including the EU," May said.
"As we leave the EU and forge a new path for ourselves in the world, the UK is just as committed to Europe's security in the future as we have been in the past," she added.
May said the major challenge for the UK and EU today was "finding a way to work together … to retain the cooperation we have built."
"The threats we have do not recognize the border between individual nations or discriminate between them," she said.
Regarding the European Court of Justice, May said the UK would "respect the remit" of the ECJ when working with EU agencies, in return for "respect for our unique status as a third country."
"But as a country outside the European Union, we will have our own sovereign legal order, so the European Court of Justice will no longer have jurisdiction in the United Kingdom," she said.
'We are leaving'
As MSC chairman Wolfgang Ischinger opened up the floor to questions for May, he took the opportunity to make a comment about it being easier if the UK remained within the EU.
"We are leaving the EU. There is no question of a second referendum … We gave the decision to the British people and they have a right to believe their politicians," May said.
"People in the UK feel that if they take a decision, governments shouldn't turn around and say 'you got that wrong, have another go next time,'" she later added.
EU 'not at war with the UK'
Following May's speech, European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker took the stage.
Responding to a question regarding the role economics would play in security policy, Juncker said the security link between the UK and the EU must be upheld, but that the issues of security and economy should be considered separately.
"I believe, since we are not at war with the UK and since we do not want to take revenge on the UK for what the British people have decided, this security bridge between the UK and the EU will be maintained — we still need it," Juncker said.
"However you cannot mix up [these questions]. You have to look individually. I do not want to mix up security policy considerations with other considerations," he added.
Brexit negotiations: What are the key issues?
Brexit talks began in June and both sides have been frustrated at the lack of progress. DW has taken a look at key issues being debated in Brussels as the clock ticks toward Britain's scheduled departure in March 2019.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/o. Hoslet
Two phases
EU leaders agreed to negotiating guidelines during a summit in April 2017 that divided the divorce talks into two phases. Phase I, in which both sides aimed to settle the basic terms of Britain's departure, started in July and ended with an agreement on "sufficient progress" in December. Officials are now holding Phase II negotiations on the post-Brexit relationship between Britain and the EU.
Image: Reuters/File Photo/Y. Herman
The "Brexit Bill"
London agreed to a formula for calculating what it owes in its "divorce bill" to the EU in early December after months of haggling by British officials. The current EU budget expires in 2022 and EU officials have said the divorce bill will cover financial obligations Britain had committed to before triggering article 50. The final bill will reportedly total around £50 billion (€67 billion).
Image: picture-alliance/empics/D. Martinez
Citizens' rights
Both sides agreed in early December that the 3 million EU citizens currently in Britain and the 1.1 million British citizens in the EU keep their residency rights after Brexit. British courts will have immediate jurisdiction over EU citizens living in Britain. But the EU's highest court, the ECJ, can hear cases until 2027 if British judges refer unclear cases to them.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/B. Smith
The Irish border
Britain and the EU also agreed in December that no border checks between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland would return post-Brexit. How feasible the commitment will be is unclear, as Britain's commitment to leaving the EU Single Market and Customs Union makes it difficult to avoid customs checks at the Irish border.
Image: Reuters/C. Kilcoyne
Transition period
Theresa May envisages a two-year transition period after March 2019. Both sides still have to hash out the details of the transition period in Phase II, including the exact end-date, whether new EU laws passed during the period will apply to Britain, and whether Britain can negotiate its own free trade deals. British officials hope to agree on the terms of the transition by March 2018.
Image: Imago
Trade
May has repeatedly said Britain will leave the European Single Market and the EU Customs Union. Leaving both could disrupt British-EU trade, but allow Britain to negotiate its own free trade deals and restrict EU migration — key demands by pro-Brexit politicians. London has said it wants to negotiate a new EU-UK trade deal during Phase II to minimize trade disruption before March 2019.
Image: Picture alliance/empics/A. Matthews
Immigration
Britain has also vowed to restrict EU migration into Britain after Brexit. However, some British lawmakers are wary that a sharp drop in immigration could lead to shortfalls in key sectors, including health, social care and construction. The EU has warned that Single Market access is out of the question if London decides to restrict the ability of its citizens to live and work in Britain.
Image: picture alliance/PA Wire /S. Parsons
Security
Recent terror attacks across Europe including a string in Britain underline both sides' support for continued security cooperation after March 2019. But access to EU institutions such as Europol and programs such as the European Arrest Warrant require compliance with EU laws. Whether Britain will still be compliant after it leaves is unclear.
