The European Union (EU) on Monday launched legal proceedings against Britain citing that the nation broke a protocol of its Brexit agreement covering Ireland. Over London’s announcement that custom controls on goods arriving in Northern Ireland from mainland Britain will be delayed unilaterally until October 1, the EU said this violates the protocol of the 2-19 divorce pact that deals with Ireland.
Ireland was one of the sensitive and fought over issues of Brexit from the EU after 47 years. The new battle, started by Brussels, marks a bitter new setback to post-Brexit cross-Channel relations just two months after the EU and Britain secured a hard-won trade deal and 15 months after the UK’s tumultuous split from the bloc.
Also Read | UK, EU to intensify efforts to fix Northern Ireland’s post-Brexit woes
The mentioned Brexit protocol, which draws a de facto border within the United Kingdom and keeps Northern Ireland subject to EU rules on goods, was agreed by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2019 but only reluctantly.
The EU has started an “infringement procedure”, it said in a letter to Britain, that may end up before the European Court of Justice (ECJ) after a lengthy process and can result in fines.
The legal proceedings will go one step further if the UK does not respond to the letter or otherwise in 30 days. The letter has invited the UK to urgently enter talks to resolve the matter.
A second letter could activate a separate dispute settlement mechanism, on the grounds that the UK has not respected international law by delaying the border controls.
This could see the UK, also after a long process, inflicted with tariffs and other retaliatory measures within its trade deal with Europe.
It is the second time the EU has entered into a legal dust-up with Britain over the Irish question.
Last year, the Johnson government said it would knowingly violate international law by passing a bill that would violate the Irish protocol.
It later withdrew the law, though not without sowing deep distrust among the Europeans.
