The tea towel burns between the UK and the EU around Northern Ireland

After London's unilateral decision to extend the suspension applied in Northern Ireland on health checks by six months, Brussels is considering a legal remedy.

REUTERS - CLODAGH KILCOYNE

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

The UK government's extension of the "grace period" before certain customs controls between Northern Ireland and the UK come into effect anger the EU.

Legal measures must be taken if we can no longer trust the United Kingdom, believes the Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, while in Brussels, precisely such measures are being prepared and the European Parliament rejects the free trade agreement with London.

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With our office in Brussels,

The European Commission said on Friday 5 March that an extension of the "grace period" for Northern Ireland could only be considered by mutual agreement between the Union and the United Kingdom;

the decision can only be made by the Joint Partnership Council for the Brexit deal. 

In the meantime,

the United Kingdom is not meeting its commitments

, according to the European Commission.

The six-month extension of the “grace period” is a unilateral decision by London.

This is unacceptable for the EU and European Commissioner Maros Sefcovic, responsible for monitoring Brexit, announces that he is preparing legal action for Wednesday for violation of the agreement.

Trade agreement still pending

At the same time, in the European Parliament, the Conference of Presidents, which brings together the leaders of all political groups, decided not to set a date for the ratification of the trade agreement with the United Kingdom.

This agreement is currently in force on a provisional basis since negotiations were only successful on December 24.

To put it in place formally, it would require ratification by the European Parliament during the month of March and this is what the Conference of Presidents refused to fix.

► To read also: Northern Ireland: why the post-Brexit protocol still divides

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  • European Union

  • Brexit

  • United Kingdom

  • North Ireland

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