EU launches legal action against UK as US rebukes Boris Johnson for Northern Ireland plan

The EU has announced legal action against the UK over its plans to override parts of the post-Brexit deal for Northern Ireland. The European Commission is also resuming legal proceedings against the UK that were shelved last year to facilitate negotiations on trade between London and the 27-member bloc. The two new infringement proceedings announced on Wednesday relate to alleged UK failures relating to sanitary and phytosanitary rules, which are checks on agri-food produce entering Northern Ireland from Britain. A representative for the UK government reacted by calling Brussels’ move “disappointing”. Boris Johnson’s government on Monday tabled the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, aimed at unilaterally altering trade, tax and governance arrangements under the pact , drawing condemnation from the US. US Senator Bob Menendez, who chairs the influential Senate Foreign Relations committee, said he was “deeply disappointed” with Britain’s decision to try to unilaterally upend the Protocol. “The proposal is an irresponsible move that threatens the twenty-four years of peace enjoyed since the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland signed the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 as well as the economic wellbeing of everyone living on the island,” Mr Menendez said in a statement . The Northern Ireland Protocol, a key part of the Brexit deal, aims to prevent a hard border between the UK nation and the Republic of Ireland, which is a member of the EU. Under the terms, regulatory checks must be carried out on goods moving between Northern Ireland and other parts of the UK. Northern Ireland's Unionists argue the rules undermine the region’s place in the UK. Downing Street also said it was “obliged to act” to alter parts of the deal because the EU refuses to budge on its position regarding the Protocol. “It is disappointing that the EU has chosen to relaunch legal proceedings relating to the grace periods currently in place, which are vital to stop the problems caused by the Protocol from getting worse," a spokesman said. "The UK’s preference remains for a negotiated solution but the proposals set out by the EU today are the same proposals we have been discussing for months and would not solve the problems – in many cases they take us backwards from current arrangements." European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic told reporters in Brussels the UK government had set out to “unilaterally break international law”. The plan would mean “breaking an agreement that protects peace and stability in Northern Ireland, an agreement reached together only three years ago” by Mr Johnson’s government and the EU. “Let there be no doubt: there is no legal nor political justification whatsoever for unilaterally changing an international agreement,” Mr Sefcovic said. “Opening the door to unilaterally changing an international agreement is a breach of international law as well. “So let’s call a spade a spade: this is illegal.” Mr Sefcovic said the UK bill that has been drawn up is “extremely damaging to mutual trust and respect between the EU and the UK”. “It has created deep uncertainty and casts a shadow over our overall co-operation, all at a time when respect for international agreements has never been more important,” he said. “That is why the Commission has today decided to take legal action against the UK for not complying with significant parts of the protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland.” Mr Sefcovic said Mr Johnson knew what he was signing up for when he agreed the Protocol, and said scrapping part of it would lead to a “monstrous mountain of paperwork” for businesses trading in Northern Ireland. However, he insisted the EU remained open to dialogue to resolve the disagreement, adding that it was “inconceivable” for the UK to unilaterally make decisions. “Given that the UK hasn’t sat down at the table with us since February, I think it’s high time to show some political will to find joint solutions,” Mr Sefcovic said. The dispute could ultimately lead to a trade war, with tariffs, or even the suspension of the entire Brexit deal between the UK and the EU, he said. Earlier this week, Mr Johnson said it would be “preposterous” for Brussels to respond to his bill by launching a trade war. Mr Sefcovic tweeted that the EU had been "withholding legal action over the last year because we wanted to create a constructive atmosphere to find solutions" and said the UK's latest decision "left us with no choice but to act". London rejects the need for legal action, saying the Commission's proposal had been seen and rejected months ago. “The Protocol is undermining the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement – disrupting trade and leading to people in Northern Ireland being treated differently to the rest of the UK," the spokesman said. “The EU continues to insist it is unwilling to change the Protocol itself, so we are obliged to act ourselves to change the parts of the Protocol that are causing problems. The legislation we introduced this week delivers practical, reasonable solutions which also protect the EU single market and support North-South trade.” The controversial move by Mr Johnson’s administration earlier this week drew immediate disapproval from across the Atlantic. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday spoke to Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, urging her to continue good faith negotiations with the EU “to reach a solution that preserves the gains of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement,” according to a US readout of the call. Last month, congressmen Bill Keating and Brendan Boyle, respectively the chair of a House of Representatives subcommittee on Europe and co-chair of the EU caucus, said they were “alarmed” by London’s plans to scrap part of the protocol. “This decision would be in direct violation of international law and squarely threaten the Good Friday Agreement,” they wrote in a letter to Ms Truss. Conor Burns, the UK envoy on the issue, told the Financial Times that US politicians risk imbalancing Northern Ireland without realising the impact of their rhetoric. “There is a lot of lazy talk going on here that what we’re doing with the protocol is endangering or imperilling peace,” he said. “Everybody should be very temperate in their use of language. Remember that voices can echo and can encourage people who don’t have the interests of stability and calmness and order at heart."

EU launches legal action against UK as US rebukes Boris Johnson for Northern Ireland plan

The UK government wants to override parts of the post-Brexit agreement