The European Commission will launch new infringement procedures against London pour « breach of international law”. The commissioner in charge of the post-Brexit agreement, Maros Sefcovic, announced on Wednesday June 15 the triggering of two new procedures for non-compliance with goods controls and the relaunch of a third procedure that could lead to an appeal to European justice. and therefore to penalties or financial penalties.
“The purpose of these procedures” is to compel London “to comply with Northern Irish protocol”concluded within the framework of the Brexit treaty, explained the European Commissioner. “Acting unilaterally is not constructive. Violating international agreements is not acceptable”he insisted.
The British government presented its bill to Parliament on Monday which unilaterally calls into question the post-Brexit status of Northern Ireland after calling for months for a revision of the protocol. A revision to which the European States opposed only conceding developments.
Protecting the single European market
This protocol aims to protect the single European market after Brexit without causing the return of a physical demarcation between the British province and the Republic of Ireland, a member of the European Union, which could jeopardize peace.
To resolve this squaring of the circle, the government of Boris Johnson had accepted that Northern Ireland should remain de facto within the European market, establishing a customs border in the Irish Sea, with controls and formalities. This situation complicates supplies and horrifies the Unionist community, which believes that the place of the province within the United Kingdom is threatened.