EU takes new legal action against UK over breaching Northern Ireland Protocol

By Agnes Szucs

BRUSSELS (AA) – The European Commission announced on Friday that it has taken legal action against the UK for not complying with the Northern Ireland Protocol of the Brexit agreement.

The EU executive body launched four infringement procedures against the UK.

The bloc accuses the British government of failing to deliver on customs and VAT requirements, as well as for not implementing the EU regulation on excise duties in general and related to the trade of alcohol in particular.

The European Commission said in a press statement that it has refrained so far from taking legal action against the UK so that the partners could find joint solutions for the application of the Northern Ireland Protocol “in the spirit of constructive cooperation.”

“The UK’s unwillingness to engage in meaningful discussion since last February and the continued passage of the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill through the UK Parliament go directly against this spirit,” the statement noted.

If the UK fails to provide an acceptable answer for the shortfalls within two months, the European Commission will take the case to the EU Court of Justice as the next step of the procedure.

The EU and the UK have been in a dispute for years over the application of the Northern Ireland Protocol which established a special trade regime.

To avoid a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland in respect of the Good Friday Agreement, parties agreed that Northern Ireland would remain a part of the EU’s customs regime and the UK would apply customs checks.

The conflict has escalated last month after the British government revealed a bill that would allow disapplying important parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol by removing checks on a variety of goods transported to Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK.

The EU considers the draft as a breach of international law since it lays the ground for London to unilaterally disapply an agreement that has been signed by both parties.

The UK left the EU after 47 years of membership on Jan. 31, 2020.