“This draft Bill is a breach of the obligation of good faith laid down in the Withdrawal Agreement”
The European Union has launched legal action against the United Kingdom over the breaching of terms of the Withdrawal Agreement.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced the UK has been put on formal notice over its Internal Market Bill, which as some MPs have already admitted, breaches international law.
The Internal Market Bill would override key parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol.
The bloc has sent a letter of formal notice to the UK government, the first step in an infringement process.
Von der Leyen said the UK had been asked to remove contentious elements of the bill by the end of September, a deadline which expired on Wednesday.
“This draft Bill is – by its very nature – a breach of the obligation of good faith laid down in the Withdrawal Agreement (Article 5),” von der Leyen said.
“Moreover, if adopted as is, it will be in full contradiction to the Protocol on Ireland / Northern Ireland.”
The UK has one month to reply to the Commission’s letter.
In a statement issued on Thursday morning, No 10 Downing Street said: “We will respond to the letter in due course.
“We have clearly set out our reasons for introducing the measures related to the Northern Ireland Protocol.
“We need to create a legal safety net to protect the integrity of the UK’s internal market.”
