China News Service, March 16 According to foreign media reports, the European Commission issued an official notice to the United Kingdom on the 15th local time, stating that the United Kingdom has violated the substantive provisions of the Northern Ireland Protocol and the good intentions stipulated in the Brexit agreement.
This means that the European Union has formally taken legal action against the United Kingdom’s violation of the agreement, and the European Union requires the United Kingdom to quickly take remedial actions and restore compliance with the terms of the protocol.
On January 29, 2020 local time, the European Parliament approved the "Brexit" agreement.
After the vote, the parliamentarians hand in hand sang the classic Scottish song "Friendship is Everlasting", and bid farewell to the United Kingdom with this well-known "Farewell Song".
China News Agency issued photos for EU
According to the report, the European Union requires the United Kingdom to abolish the unilateral extension of the grace period for food inspections exported to Northern Ireland, and emphasizes that the United Kingdom has one month to respond.
The EU emphasizes that if the UK does not submit a response by then, the EU can issue comments in appropriate circumstances.
According to the terms of the protocol, the European Court of Justice has trial powers.
If the two parties fail to negotiate a settlement within a month, the EU may take action against the UK through the European Court of Justice or the dispute settlement mechanism.
The dispute stems from the fact that the grace period for inspections of agricultural products and food from other parts of the UK to Northern Ireland was originally scheduled to expire at the end of March, but the British government announced that it would extend the grace period to October. Northern Ireland is necessary.
However, the British side’s move caused dissatisfaction with the European Union. The European Commission’s Vice-Chairman Sefkovic previously stated that the United Kingdom has taken unilateral actions against Northern Ireland’s trade regulations, violating the agreement and undermining trust. The EU will follow the protocol and the Brexit agreement. Respond to the established "legal means".
In the past, the EU’s procedures for handling violations of EU laws have been to send a letter to notify the initiation of the dispute settlement mechanism.
But the trial period may be as long as several years.
This is the second time in the past six months that Brussels has taken legal action against Britain's violation of the agreement.
In October 2020, the European Union took legal action against the United Kingdom regarding the overthrow of part of the Brexit agreement by the United Kingdom's Internal Market Act.