LONDON, June 15 (Reuters) – Britain is disappointed with the European Union’s move to launch two new legal proceedings against it and will review the documents carefully before responding, a spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday.
“We will review these documents carefully and respond formally in due course, however, we are disappointed that the EU has taken this legal action today,” he told reporters.
“The EU’s proposed approach, which doesn’t differ from what they’ve said previously, would increase burdens on businesses and citizens and take us backwards from where we are currently,” he said, referring to EU proposals to ease post-Brexit trade problems with Northern Ireland.
The EU has begun legal proceedings against the UK after it published legislation that would override the parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Maros Sefcovic, vice-president of the European Commission, said the plan to tear up the agreement, which governs Northern Ireland’s post-Brexit trading arrangements, was illegal.
The commission confirmed that Brussels will resume legal proceedings against the UK, which it suspended in September, for breaching the EU withdrawal treaty agreed in 2020.
Mr Sefcovic said: “Let there be no doubt: there is no legal nor political justification whatsoever for unilaterally changing an international agreement.
“This is illegal. The UK bill is extremely damaging to mutual trust and respect between the EU and the UK.
“It has created deep uncertainty and casts a shadow over our international cooperation.”
Via Sky News
