The end of the year is a time for closure and new beginnings. As 2019 winds down, that is certainly the case with Brexit. Following the victory of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the Tories in the general election this month, it is now clear that the United Kingdom will leave the European Union on Jan. 31.

For many, including me, the occasion will be tinged with regret. But it also represents an opportunity to forge a new U.K.-EU partnership. And besides, things could have been much worse. Owing to the withdrawal agreement that was concluded this past October, a destructive "hard" Brexit has been averted.

Since the beginning of the Brexit negotiations, we on the EU side — the 27 member states and the European Parliament — have not strayed from the bloc's core interests nor lost sight of the need for unity and solidarity.