Lawyers in the European Commission are drawing up formal notice documents for the United Kingdom, the first step in legal action against London to compel it to stick to agreements signed on post-Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland. In response to the UK’s move, the commission warned it would use the legal means available in the trade deal and protocol on Northern Ireland to compel Britain to implement the agreement. Ultimately, this process can lead to fines or the imposition of retaliatory tariffs on trade with Britain if the EU’s complaints are upheldThere are two legal routes for redress, The Irish Times understands. Trade and industry figures in Britain have also called for a more conciliatory approach, after Lord Frost said the EU needed to shake off “ill will” towards the UK. The “temporary operational steps” are “lawful and consistent with a with a progressive and good faith implementation of the protocol”, wrote Lord Frost.

Source: The Irish Times March 10, 2021 01:00 UTC