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A30 world news
Diabierna 11 September 2020

EU demands UK drop a planned law that breaches Brexit deal

lence in Northern Ireland. der.

Any hardening of the border could The top civil servant in the govern-
anger nationalists who want a unit- ment’s legal department resigned
ed Ireland. But any new barriers to this week, reportedly because of op-
trade across the Irish Sea would rile position to the proposed law. For-
Unionists who want Northern Ire- mer Conservative leader Michael
land to stay British.Both Britain and Howard, a supporter of Brexit, said
the EU claim to be acting to preserve the government was damaging “our
peace. reputation for probity and respect for
Britain says its law is intended to en- the rule of the law.” “How can we re-
sure there are no barriers to trade be- proach Russia or China or Iran when
tween Northern Ireland and the rest their conduct falls below internation-
of the U.K. in the event that there is ally accepted standards, when we are
no deal with the EU. On Thursday, it showing such scant regard for our
said it would try to push the bill into treaty obligations?” he said in Parlia-
law quickly, scheduling it for debate ment. Britain left the political struc-
in Parliament starting Monday.“This tures of the EU on Jan. 31 and will
legislation is critical to ensuring there make an economic break when an
is unfettered access for goods from 11-month transition period ends on
Northern Ireland to the rest of the Dec. 31. The two sides are trying to
United Kingdom,” Gove said. strike a new trade deal by then, but
Sefcovic said the EU did not agree talks have bogged down over issues
(AP) — Instead of closing in on a fu- EU would take legal action.“The that the bill aimed to protect North- including fishing rights in U.K. wa-
ture trade deal, the European Union Withdrawal Agreement contains a ern Ireland's peace accord. “In fact, ters and fair-competition rules for
and Britain entered a bitter fight number of mechanisms and legal it is of the view that it does the op- businesses.
Thursday over a planned British law remedies to address violations of the posite,” he said. The EU has an ally
that the EU says would constitute a legal obligations contained in the text in Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the U.S. The two sides’ chief negotiators, Da-
serious violation of the Brexit divorce – which the European Union will not House of Representatives. She said vid Frost and Barnier, ended their lat-
agreement and destroy what little be shy in using," Sefcovic said. The Britain would have no chance of est round of negotiations on Thurs-
trust remains between the two sides. U.K. has acknowledged that the pro- striking a coveted trade deal with the day with no major progress reported,
posed legislation breaks international United States if it breached an in- though they did agree to keep talking.
The 27-nation bloc said Britain must law “in a very specific and limited ternational treaty and undermined Frost said “we remain committed to
withdraw the planned law dealing way.” But it argues that it is acting Northern Ireland's Good Friday working hard to reach agreement by
with Northern Ireland trade by the legally under British law because ac- peace accord "How can they walk the middle of October” and the two
end of the month or face legal action cording to the “fundamental principle away from an international agree- sides would hold more talks in Brus-
even before the transition period fol- of Parliamentary sovereignty … trea- ment? How do you trust that?” Pe- sels next week.
lowing Britain's EU departure ends ty obligations only become binding losi said at a news conference at the Both sides say that unless there is an
on Dec. 31.“By putting forward this to the extent that they are enshrined U.S. Capitol Thursday. “What were agreement by next month, Britain is
bill, the U.K. has seriously damaged in domestic legislation.”Britain and they thinking?” Pelosi said. “They’re facing an economically disruptive no-
trust between the EU and the UK. the EU have jointly promised in the not thinking of the U.K.-U.S. bilat- deal exit on Jan. 1.
It is now up to the U.K. government Brexit divorce agreement to ensure eral trade agreements.” Many Brit- Barnier said that “the EU is intensi-
to reestablish that trust,” European there are no customs posts or other ish politicians and lawyers have also fying its preparedness" for a possible
Commission Vice President Maros obstacles on the Northern Ireland- expressed alarm, saying that reneg- no-deal by New Year's, which is set to
Sefcovic said after talks with Britain's Ireland border. ing on a legally binding international hurt the bloc, even if not as much as
chief Brexit minister, Michael Gove, An open border underpins the peace commitment would trash Britain’s it will hurt Britain.
at a hastily arranged meeting in Lon- agreement that ended decades of vio- reputation for upholding law and or-
don.
Simultaneous talks on a future trade
deal also remained in a rut, with EU
chief negotiator Michel Barnier ac-
cusing Britain of wanting to keep the
advantages of membership it freely
relinquished on Jan. 31 when it offi-
cially left the bloc.

“The U.K. is refusing to include in-
dispensable guarantees of fair compe-
tition in our future agreement, while
requesting free access to our market,"
Barnier said.
Less than a year ago the two sides
signed and ratified a withdrawal
agreement that Britain now acknowl-
edges it will violate with its Internal
Market Bill, which would diminish
the EU's oversight of trade between
mainland Britain and Northern Ire-
land. That's a sensitive issue because
Northern Ireland has the U.K's only
land border with the EU.
Sefcovic said the bill, if adopted,
“would constitute an extremely se-
rious violation of the Withdrawal
Agreement and of international law.”

He said that if Britain didn't change
course by the end of September, the