Brussels has warned that it will soon take legal action following a move by the United Kingdom to unilaterally delay the implementation of part of the Brexit agreement with regard to Northern Ireland.
European Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič said the government’s announcement on Wednesday was a ‘very negative surprise’.
Cabinet Office Secretary David Frost has said the UK is expanding a series of “grace periods” designed to ease trade between Northern Ireland – which is still in the EU internal market for goods – and Britain facilitate while working out permanent arrangements.
This provoked a furious reaction in Brussels, with the EU accusing Britain of withdrawing from its treaty commitments in the Brexit withdrawal agreement aimed at ensuring no return of a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic is not.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Šefčovič – who is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the agreement – said the European Commission is now working on ‘infringement proceedings’ against the UK.
‘We’re currently preparing it, and it’s coming to our table really soon. The most accurate term I can give you is really fast, ‘he said.
His warning comes after Boris Johnson sought to diminish the dispute, saying the government was merely taking a “temporary and technical measure” to ensure trade continued to flow.
“I’m sure all of these technical issues can be solved with a little bit of goodwill and common sense,” he said Thursday.
However, MEPs have already taken steps to delay the formal ratification of the broader trade and co-operation agreement between Britain and the EU pending the outcome of the latest row.
The Northern Ireland Protocol in the withdrawal agreement means that Northern Ireland must remain in line with various EU rules, which require goods to come to the region from Great Britain.