European lawmakers voted on Thursday in favour of EU-UK trade deal with a recommendation that the European Parliament gives its consent to the agreement.

The trade and foreign affairs committees, two key committees in the European Parliament, gave their seal of approval by 108 votes in favour, one against and four abstentions, and recommended that the parliament's plenary approves the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

A date for a final vote to ratify the deal has not yet been set, with the parliament saying in a statement that its Conference of Presidents decided not to set a plenary date "in order to emphasize that the UK side needs to fully implement the Withdrawal Agreement before doing so."

EU and UK negotiators agreed on the terms of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement on Dec. 24, 2020. To minimize disruption, the agreement has been provisionally applied since Jan. 1, 2021 and will lapse on April 30. For it to enter into force permanently, it requires the parliament's consent.

"With today's decision, we welcome the provisions that bind the UK to our current high labor and environmental standards," said Andreas Schieder, the foreign affairs committee rapporteur.

"All progress could be lost, if the UK continues to unilaterally breach the Withdrawal Agreement and the Protocol on Northern Ireland," warned Schieder.

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