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The European Union has opened an infringement procedure against the United Kingdom for an alleged violation of the protocol governing the status of Northern Ireland after Brexit.
The decision was made after the UK announced on March 3 that it would unilaterally extend the transition period, which began on January 1, 2021. During this period, more interim measures between Britain and Ireland are expected to remain in place. North. merchandise controls versus definitive controls, which in theory should be activated on April 1, 2021. “In practice [i britannici] they are telling interested parties not to implement an international agreement, “said a European official to the Financial times.
Under the Brexit deal, Northern Ireland will remain in the European common market and customs union in the future to avoid building a physical barrier with Ireland. However, staying in Northern Ireland involves a lot of new checks and paperwork for goods arriving from the rest of the UK, which has already caused a lot of inconvenience for Northern Ireland businesses.
In theory, the definitive measures that would have introduced an even greater number of controls and bureaucratic obstacles would take effect on April 1. However, the UK government has decided to extend the transition period until the end of September, explaining that it has done so to ease the transition for Northern Ireland companies.
The opening of an infringement procedure provides that the United Kingdom can defend itself against the Commission’s accusations in the coming weeks. If the dispute is not resolved with a compromise, the intervention of the Court of Justice of the European Communities will be necessary. The British government defended itself, explaining that it considered its decision “part of a progressive and authentic application of the protocol”.
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