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In the dispute over the violation of the existing Brexit agreement, Britain ignored a deadline set by the European Union. London had until the end of October to respond to a warning letter from the EU, a spokesman for the EU Commission said. The EU has not received a response and is therefore examining “next steps” in the current infringement procedure.
A spokesman for the British government said only that they would continue to work towards a satisfactory result and would respond in due course.
The British House of Commons passed a single market law in late September that could undo several provisions on Northern Ireland in the Brexit Treaty. Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants to circumvent EU-agreed customs regulations on merchandise trade for the British province and state aid requirements for British companies.
The EU Commission saw this as a violation of the exit agreement and launched infringement proceedings against Great Britain in early October. This can lead to a lawsuit in the Court of Justice of the European Union, which could impose heavy fines on the UK.
The next step in the infringement procedure is a reasoned opinion after the warning letter. This is a formal request to the UK to re-comply with EU law. If London does not comply within two months, Brussels could appeal to the Court of Justice of the European Communities.
Conversations stall
Britain left the EU at the end of January. Until the end of the year, the country will remain in the EU internal market and in the customs union. In fact, both parties wanted to use this time to reach a trade agreement. But the talks barely advanced for months.
There is a bitter discussion about fishing in particular. A quarter of the French catch in the Northeast Atlantic comes from the rich fishing grounds of the island. A spokesperson for the EU Commission has now announced that there has not yet been a solution to this issue.
EU chief negotiator Barnier is daunting hopes that negotiations will end soon
The EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, recently reduced the prospect of a speedy conclusion of negotiations on future relations. After Britain’s exit from the EU, the transitional period, during which Britain still applies EU rules, will expire at the end of the year.
If there is no deal, there is still the threat of a hard Brexit without a trade deal. From an EU perspective, negotiations can take place until mid-November. If there is a deal by then, the parliaments of Britain and the EU would have enough time to ratify the deal before the end of the year.
