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The European Union has asked the British government to withdraw its plans to amend the Brexit treaty. London must withdraw the relevant measures “before the end of the month” at the latest, the EU Commission declared, thus setting an unusually clear tone. The EU “will not back down” from taking legal action. EU parliamentarians had previously threatened to break up the negotiations.
Surprisingly, the British government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced this week that it would unilaterally change the exit treaty with the EU that it had approved in January. These are passages on future trade with the British part of Northern Ireland.
Among other things, with the planned review, the government once again makes available at what point and for which goods customs controls must be carried out. It is also about limiting British subsidies to Northern Ireland companies. According to the contract, European standards continue to apply. London wants to change that now.
A law to make this possible was debated in the UK House of Commons on Wednesday. The Vice President of the EU Commission, Maros Sefcovic, traveled to London on Thursday to ask for clarification. There he met the British Secretary of State for Cabinet Affairs, Michael Gove.
If Britain pushes the project further, this would be an “extremely serious violation of the exit agreement and international law,” Sefcovic said. The British legislative proposal “seriously damaged” the trust between Brussels and London.
A statement by the European Commission states: “The Withdrawal Agreement has been in force and is binding under international law since February 1, 2020. Since then, neither the EU nor the UK have been able to change, specify, expand, interpret , ignore or unilaterally ignore the agreement. End its effectiveness “. The passages to Northern Ireland are an “essential part” of the Brexit treaty with the aim of preserving peace and stability on the island.
London also admits that a unilateral change in the agreed rules would be a violation of international law. Numerous politicians, including from the ranks of the ruling conservatives, had spoken out against the planned law and criticized the breach of trust in the EU.
