In the third part of Anadolu Agency's (AA) file news titled "From Brexit to Breturn", the EU's attitude towards the possible re-membership of the UK was discussed.
AA correspondent met with European Parliament (EP) Development Committee President and Irish MEP Barry Andrews, EU Commission Official, and Johns Hopkins University Faculty of International Studies (SAIS Europe) Academic Director of the European Public Policy Master's Program and former Director General of the EU Commission for Enlargement, Michael Leigh, on the subject.
The decision to join the EU is taken by the Council
When British Prime Minister Andy Burnham pointed out that Brexit did not provide the expected benefits on the 10th anniversary of the separation and that it was necessary to "go all the way" in improving relations with the EU, Britain's re-membership of the Union came to the fore.
Countries that want to join the EU make their applications to the EU Council, which consists of representatives of EU member states, in accordance with Article 49 of the EU Treaty.
Decisions on applications are taken unanimously in the EU Council.
In this process, the EU Commission is consulted and the approval of the EP is obtained. In order for the EP to approve it, the majority of all MPs must vote in favour.
Therefore, the attitude of the member countries plays a decisive role in the re-entry of the United Kingdom.
There are no countries that directly oppose it yet
There is currently no member state openly opposed to the UK rejoining the EU. However, this does not guarantee that all member states will approve the UK's return.
It is stated that member countries are concerned about the possibility of Britain taking an anti-Union stance once again as a result of a possible change of government.
At the same time, the difficult post-Brexit negotiations lead to the continued negative perception among the Union members.
So much so that EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, who hosted British Defense Minister Wes Streeting in Brussels, said, "I must state that there are many people in the EU who are seriously disappointed by the Brexit process and are negatively affected by this process. Therefore, the negotiations will not be easy." he said.
While French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the possibility of Britain rejoining the EU, he warned that such a step would bring with it some concessions.
"You cannot choose between the freedoms of the Union. You cannot decide to take what suits you and not accept the rest," Macron said. he said.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot also stated that France is "fully ready to open the door" to readmit Britain to the EU, and pointed out that such a return "will bring with it obligations as well as rights."
Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Radoslaw Sikorski stated that his country would support a possible re-membership application, but that it would not have the UK's previous membership conditions.
Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs noted that England "must return to the family again".
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev stated that they welcomed the possibility of possible re-membership and said, "However, this time England must have learned its lesson." he said.
Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa stated that Britain's departure was the EU's "biggest disaster".
While Lithuania, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Denmark also gave the green light to possible re-membership, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez stated that this was necessary for Europe to become a "geopolitical power".
According to MEP member, re-membership is not realistic
While different political groups in the EP also gave a positive message, the research conducted by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) in 15 EU countries revealed that 66 percent of EU citizens support Britain's re-joining of the EU.
Andrews, Chairman of the AP Development Committee and an Irish MEP, stated that the acceptance of closer relations between the EU and the UK is increasing, but many people are not yet ready to discuss the issue of re-membership.
Similarly, Andrews stated that the statements of the member countries reflect a real political willingness to establish better relations and closer cooperation in certain programs, adding, "However, re-membership is not out of the question yet." made his assessment.
"I do not see re-membership as realistic in the near term. However, closer relations, perhaps even membership in the single market or customs union, may be possible," Andrews said. he said.
EU Commission is "ready to evaluate the options that will come to the agenda"
The EU Commission Official declined to comment on the UK's re-membership.
The official noted that Britain is a close and valued partner of the EU.
Underlining that it is the responsibility of the British government to determine how the relations between the UK and the EU will be developed from now on, the Official said, "We are open to evaluating the options that the British government may bring to the agenda." he said.
The official noted that the EU-UK Summit will be held on November 20 and that they are waiting for the summit.
The UK's application is assessed in the same way as all candidate countries
Leigh, Academic Director of the European Public Policy Master's Program at Johns Hopkins University School of International Studies (SAIS Europe) and former Director General of the EU Commission for Enlargement, pointed out that, by choice, the UK is now a country like other countries that maintains its relations with the EU only within the framework of a standard trade and cooperation agreement with certain features.
Leigh said: "If the UK applies for membership, this application will be evaluated in the same way as all other candidate countries. The UK will follow the standard accession procedure under Article 49 of the EU Treaty." made his assessment.
Noting that the resulting accession agreement will need to be approved by all 27 members of the EU and the British Parliament, Leigh said, "However, political realities, including the permanence of public support, will inevitably have an impact on the decisions of the member states." he said.
Leigh also stated that in the event of possible re-membership, the UK is not expected to regain the exemptions it had in the past regarding the transition to the euro or the free movement of persons.
When rebuilding trust, it takes time and effort to convince all members
Noting that there are many complex issues that concern most of the member countries and need to be resolved in the event of the UK's re-membership, Leigh stated that Spain's sensitivities on Gibraltar and France's sensitivities on fisheries are some of them.
Leigh said, "However, the basis of all these issues lies in the trust that needs to be re-established. The fact that the UK's support for European integration has not followed a stable course during the Brexit process is one of the important burdens on the country. It will take significant time and effort for the UK to convince the 27 member states that it is now irrevocably committed to the European integration that it gave up less than 10 years ago." he said.
On the other hand, Leigh said that the renewed interest in establishing closer relations with the EU, seen in recent political statements and public debates in the UK, is important and pointed out that this should be welcomed positively.
However, noting that in practice, this interest is expected to turn into closer cooperation, especially in the fields of security and defense, rather than membership in the short and medium term, Leigh said, "Both parties should be cautious about raising expectations that are unlikely to be realized in the foreseeable future." he said.
