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Britain and the EU had laboriously agreed to the Brexit treaty. Now a British internal market law is supposed to undo parts of it again. Commission President von der Leyen announced legal action.
In the Brexit dispute, the European Union is taking legal action against Britain for violating the EU Withdrawal Treaty. This was announced by the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, in Brussels. The background for this is the British Internal Market Act, which was passed by the House of Commons on Tuesday and which aims to undermine parts of the exit agreement that is already in place.
Ultimatum expired
The EU Commission had given the British government an ultimatum until Wednesday to withdraw the controversial clauses of the law. Since this did not happen, the Brussels authority sent an official report to London that they saw a violation of the contract. Von der Leyen gave the British government a month to comment.
It is the first step in a process that could finally end before the Court of Justice of the European Communities. The Single Market Act, which has not yet been dealt with by the British House of Lords, would be a violation of the “good faith” principle set out in the treaty and specifically against the protocol for Northern Ireland, von der Leyen said.
The EU insists on full compliance
Despite the process that has started, the EU will continue to insist on full compliance with the exit agreement and will adhere to it. “We fulfill our obligations,” von der Leyen said. The EU had condemned Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s plans as a breach of trust and a violation of international law.
The British government, on the other hand, calls them a “safety net” in the event that a trade deal with the EU is no longer successful before the end of the year. You want to revoke the special terms contractually agreed for Northern Ireland. Under the treaty, the British province will continue to be more closely linked to the EU internal market and the customs union, which means that controls on goods traffic with the rest of the UK are necessary.
Negotiations on the trade pact are ongoing
London warns that this could uncouple Northern Ireland. However, Johnson accepted this in the Brexit treaty. Despite the dispute over the Internal Market Law, negotiations on the trade pact that both parties have planned for the period after the Brexit transition phase will resume this week.
