Updated: Sep 12, 2020 1:06:41 pm
FILE PHOTO: People wave British Union Jack flags as they celebrate in Parliament Square on Brexit Day in London, Britain, Jan.31, 2020. REUTERS / Simon Dawson / File photo
the European Union (EU) demanded on Thursday that the United Kingdom should abandon its plans to change the Brexit deal or be prepared for these movements to affect business discussions between them. He said the UK had “seriously damaged trust” by publishing a bill to amend clauses in the agreement it had signed in January this year. the Boris Johnson Government He also recognized that such moves would potentially also be in violation of international law.
What is this invoice?
The UK, called the Internal Market Bill, has tried to ensure that it can trade freely with its component countries, namely England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. However, to do this, the UK government has said that it would need to violate a part of its agreement with the EU.
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That means if goods were transported from Northern Ireland to Great Britain, for example, no additional controls would be required. The BBC reported: “It gives UK ministers powers to modify or ‘not apply’ the rules related to the movement of goods which will come into effect from 1 January if the UK and the EU cannot reach a trade agreement “.
How has the EU responded to this bill?
In response to these plans, the EU has said it will consider legal action against the UK for violating what is an international treaty. The BBC reported that Cabinet Minister Michael Gove said the UK had made it “perfectly clear” that it would not back down. The BBC also said that the UK government’s position was that the UK Parliament is sovereign and empowered to “pass laws that violate the UK’s international treaty obligations.”
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David Frost, the UK’s chief negotiator, had said there were “significant differences” over a free trade deal to be discussed in future negotiations next week, the BBC further reported.
Observers believe that trade talks are unlikely to continue if the UK does not back down, because the EU statement on UK unilateral moves in the context of this legislation has angered Brussels. At the same time, observers believe that the UK is unlikely to back down significantly despite the opposition it faces from the EU.
What’s next?
Reuters reported that this bill must pass through the UK House of Commons and then the House of Lords, the upper house, to become law. However, since the Boris Johnson administration does not have a majority like it does in the House of Commons, it is unlikely that lawmakers will make a decision in Johnson’s favor.
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Debate on this bill will begin Monday in the House of Commons. Reuters reported that while the bill has been unpopular in the House of Lords, even among conservative members, it is unlikely to be completely blocked, in part because that is not its role.
A more plausible scenario would be one in which the House of Lords “would amend and improve the legislation.” Once the House of Lords has finished with the bill, it will be sent back to the House of Commons.
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