THE UK will be locked out of vital European security and policing systems post Brexit, Michel Barnier said yesterday as relations between the UK and EU27 hit a new low.
The European Commission’s chief negotiator said Britain would also lose access to the European arrest warrant, designed to co-ordinate efforts to bring major criminals to justice throughout the continent and which has proved effective in apprehending terror suspects.
He also warned UK representatives would no longer have a role in managing crime fighting agencies such as Europol.
In a speech in Vienna, Barnier said the UK Government needed a dose of “realism” about what would be possible on security cooperation after it leaves the bloc.
He said EU security arrangements and information sharing was based on “trust”, but said: “This trust doesn’t fall from the sky, there is no magic wand.
“This trust is founded on an ecosystem … If you leave this ecosystem you lose the benefits of this cooperation.”
Barnier said the EU’s position had been developed after talks between the 27 other member states in recent weeks.
“It is particularly hard to speak about what will no longer be possible, but I have to speak the truth,” he told the audience at the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights in the Austrian capital.
He said he had “profound regret” over the UK’s decision to leave, the EU, adding: “They try to blame us for the consequences of their choice.
“Once again, we will not be drawn into this blame game. It will mean wasting time, and we don’t have time.”
The European Commission says expedited extradition could still be possible between the EU and UK but it would have to be “organised differently”.
Barnier also said the EU was open to exchanging security information with the UK but that this could not be based “on access to EU-only or Schengen-only databases”.
It insists any cooperation with the UK on the issue would be conditional on Britain remaining subject to the European Court of Human Rights and its convention – which Theresa May has previously suggested leaving.
Proposals laid out by European Commission say any future agreement would have a “guillotine clause” that would end if these conditions were not adhered to.
SNP MSP Rona Mackay said the UK Government was jeopardising national security.”Theresa May is risking our country’s security purely to placate the hard Brexiteers in her government – it is ludicrous,” she said. “Our membership of the EU has been massively helpful in the fight against crime and terrorism, and it is extremely worrying that the Tory Government wants to plough on regardless with a chaotic damaging Brexit, even if that means weakening the UK’s security arrangements.”
Meanwhile, Scotland’s Brexit minister called for urgent talks with the UK Government after MPs approved parts of the EU Withdrawal Bill related to devolution with less than 20 minutes of debate.
Mike Russell insisted the legislation “still contains unacceptable provisions” as he accused Westminster of ignoring Holyrood’s unprecedented vote against granting formal consent for the Bill.
He hit out at the “unhelpful” and “contentious” attitude of the Conservatives to the issue – and said as a result “we can not, and devolution can not, continue with a business as usual approach”.
Russell said “urgent discussions” must now take place with Westminster over how to “protect” the Sewel Convention – a key part of the UK’s constitutional set up which states the UK Parliament will not normally legislate in devolved areas without the consent of Holyrood.
Green MSP Patrick Harvie suggested international mediators could be called in to help resolve
the dispute – with Russell open
to this approach.
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