The Vice President of the European Commission Maros Sefcovic in Brussels, September 9, 2020. -

Olivier HOSLET / POOL / AFP

After the publication by the United Kingdom of a bill partially revising its commitments made in the context of Brexit, the European Union called for an urgent meeting in London, announced Maros Sefcovic, the vice-president of the European Commission, this Wednesday.

"I will call for the holding of an extraordinary joint committee on the Withdrawal Agreement as soon as possible, so that our partners in the United Kingdom can give details and address our serious concerns about the bill," he said. he declares.

The withdrawal agreement is "not open to renegotiation"

He hopes London will give "assurances that the Withdrawal Agreement will be effectively implemented in its entirety and on schedule."

This joint committee, dedicated to the implementation and application of the withdrawal agreement concluded between the EU and the United Kingdom last January, is co-chaired by Maros Sefcovic on the European side and by Minister of State Michael Gove British side.

The two men spoke by telephone on Tuesday evening, the Slovak commissioner said.

“I made it very clear (to Michael Gove) that the Withdrawal Agreement was not open for renegotiation,” he said.

"Once the British government has tabled the bill, which should be done this afternoon, our president (Ursula von der Leyen) will react", he also declared.

A text that "violates international law"

The British government on Wednesday published a bill that partly calls into question the commitments made in the context of Brexit, an assumed violation of international law which weighs on the already difficult negotiations with the European Union on their future relationship.

By retoking a document having the status of an international treaty, this text intended to "clarify" points of the exit agreement from the EU, in particular on customs arrangements concerning Northern Ireland, "violates the international law of in a very specific and limited way ”, by the own admission of the Minister responsible for Northern Ireland, Brandon Lewis.

At the same time, the EU and the UK opened a highly sensitive eighth round of negotiations in London on Tuesday.

It is to last until Thursday.

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