EU warns UK of legal action over plan to break Brexit deal

LONDON: Instead of closing in on a future trade deal, the EU and Britain fought bitterly on Thursday over a planned British law that the EU says would constitute a violation of the Brexit deal. The bloc said Britain must withdraw the planned law dealing with

Northern Ireland

trade or face a legal battle. “If the bill were to be adopted, it would constitute a serious violation of the Withdrawal Agreement and of international law,”

European Commission

vice-president Maros Sefcovic said after meeting Britain’s Brexit minister,

Michael Gove

in

London

. He warned that if UK didn’t change course by September end, “the Withdrawal Agreement contains legal remedies, which the EU will not be shy in using.”


The UK announced this week that it plans to legislate to give itself the power to deviate from some of the provisions in the deal about Northern Ireland trade. The UK argues that it is acting legally under British law because according to the “fundamental principle of parliamentary sovereignty, treaty obligations only become binding to the extent that they are enshrined in domestic legislation.” On Thursday, it said it would try to push the bill into law quickly, scheduling it for debate in parliament starting Monday.