Top Conservative UK MEP Tannock to EF: Questions raised on British Bases in Cyprus after BREXIT

*Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- One of EU Parliament's most Experienced Members, from UK's Governing Party of Prime Minister Theresa May, and former Long-Time Foreign Policy spokesman of its Biggest Group : that of ChristianDemocrats/EPP, currently in the Conservative Group, Charles Tannock, who is also EU Rapporteur on relations with New Zealand, due to be Debated and Voted on Thursday, (etc), Speaking to "Eurofora", observed that "BREXIT" raises Delicate Questions on the British Bases located in Cyprus :

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 - "Well, the Problem with Cyprus, probably, is going to be a Different one" compared to the usual BREXIT general debates, he warned from the outset.

 - "It's going to be the (2) Sovereign (UK) Bases" there, "and the (EU) Customs Union", Tannock pointed out.

- "There May be a Problem", in this regard.

- "Because they (UK Bases in Cyprus) are in the Customs Union, and they May have to Leave the Customs Union".

=>-  "And, then, it has to be a kind of Border", f.ex. "for the Trade of Goods", "including some Agricultural" fields, etc. I.e., "they will have to be in Line with Northern Ireland'"s case, he found.

 - But, curiously, until now, "Nobody Speaks about this", Tannock regretted.   

- However, just "Look at the Facts : The Bases joined the (EU) Customs Union, when Cyprus became EU Member" on 2004, (and Not when the UK itself joined the EU, Back during the 1970ies), he reminded.

  - So that, "If we (UK) Leave" the EU, then "they will have to" opt about leaving (or staying) in  the Custom Union, ...

- "If they Stay in the Customs Union, - and then it goes into British Territory, like Northern Ireland  - they have to use the Same Currency". Since "It's in the (1960) Treaty (on Cyprus' Independence) : They have to use the Same Currency", he pointed out.

- "But, this is a Serious Issue, Legally", the UK Conservative MEP stressed.

=> - Because, "if the Sovereign (UK) Bases" in Cyprus "Stay in the EU's Customs Union of the EU, as British Territory, then, you have No Argument to say that Northern Ireland cannot do the same !", he Speculated, despite the Differences.

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+ Nevertheless, EU Chief Negotiator on BREXIT, former EU Commissioner and French Minister, Michel Barnier, had recently given an a priori Positive sign to "Eurofora", as far as the overal UK - Cyprus' Negotiations on BREXIT Issues specific to the Island were concerned, on the sidelines of the Latest EU Heads of State/Government's Summit, 20 October 2017 in Brussels, by simply Smiling and making a "Thumbs-Up" gesture, as a Fast-track but Characteristic Reply to our Question about -"How are the BREXIT Negotiations going in relation with Cyprus ?", in general.

It's true, however, that we had not then even mentioned, particularly, the special case of those UK Bases per se.

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++ Meanwhile, Tannock also Confirmed his Belief that, indeed, "the UK will Leave the EU on March 29", 2019, as scheduled, independently of anything else.

- There is No Chance to Stay in the EU : To be precise, the Probabilty is "Less than 5%", the Experienced, mainstream British MEP estimated, in Reply to a relevant "Eurofora"s Question.

 + In a rare Agreement, between Different Political Orientations, Conservative MEP Tannock's estimation matched also that  of "Green" (former "Labour") British MEP Jean Lambert :

- Speaking to "Eurofora", Later-on, the Pro-"Remain" MEP Lambert acknowledged : - "I Regret that, but I Agree" (with Tannock) :

- Indeed, "he's Right : There are No more than Only 5% of Chances for the UK to Stay inside the EU" after March 2019, she bitterly admitted.

(../...)

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