Boris Johnson, December 8, 2020 in London.

-

Mark Thomas // SIPA

The British government announced on Tuesday that it had reached an agreement with Brussels allowing it to withdraw the controversial provisions of its bill revising the Brexit treaty, which angered Europeans in the midst of trade negotiations.

After a meeting Monday in Brussels, the officials of the two parties "can now announce an agreement in principle on all subjects, in particular concerning the protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland", indicates a statement from the British government, which will therefore remove the articles of his law which by his own admission violated international law.

Infringement procedure

The bill on the internal market revisits provisions of the agreement governing the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union last January for the British province of Northern Ireland.

These clauses are intended to avoid the return of a border with the Republic of Ireland, a safeguard considered essential to the maintenance of peace on the island.

They had led to the launch of an infringement procedure by Brussels.

The British government will therefore withdraw the controversial articles of its law, which deprived Brussels of a right of scrutiny over certain specific provisions adopted for Northern Ireland concerning public aid and the customs declarations to be completed for goods moving between British province and Great Britain, it is specified.

An effective treaty from January 1

He will also withdraw an article from another bill due to be considered shortly concerning taxation in Northern Ireland.

On Twitter, Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic welcomed this agreement: "This will allow (the Brexit treaty concluded in 2019) to be fully operational on January 1".

As trade talks get bogged down just over three weeks before the final break with the EU on December 31, this gesture is akin to a concession made in Brussels, where British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due " in the coming days ”.

Podcast

Brexit, its story and its issues, told in our podcast

World

Brexit: Where are the negotiations at?

  • UK

  • Brexit

  • World