By Ben Kerrigan-
The EU has repeatedly warned that the Northern Ireland protocol legislation would “deeply damage” relationships.
Brussels has launched fresh legal action against the UK for failing to comply with aspects of the controversial Northern Ireland protocol.
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The European Commission today revealed it was bringing four new claims against the UK despite “repeated calls” on the government to implement the agreement on trade between Britain and Northern Ireland.
The EU is angry over the backing given by MPs for legislation overriding post-Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland by launching a further four legal cases against the UK government.
The legal action relates to past failures to implement the 2019 deal agreed with Boris Johnson but the EU has been spurred to act by the passage through parliament of a bill that would rip up current arrangements.
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It comes in addition to infringement claims lodged in response to the UK’s refusal to carry out checks on certain agrifoods.
The UK have declined to privide the EU with export declarations Northern Ireland businesses are supposed to fill in when sending goods to Great Britain, including for controlled goods subject to prohibition and restrictions.
Commissions spokesperson Ariana Podestà said: “This is of course very important to so that to ensure that the EU can comply with its own international obligations in relation to prohibitions and restrictions on the exports of goods to third countries. The UK, as of today, has not implemented these requirements,” Commission spokesperson Ariana Podestà said.
Relations between the government and the EU were made even worse by the introduction of the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, which would give ministers the power to unilaterally over-ride key parts of the agreement.
Critics have said that would be a breach of international law, something the government denies.
The commission said in a statement: “Despite repeated calls by the European parliament, the 27 EU member states and the European Commission to implement the protocol, the UK government has failed to do so.
“In a spirit of constructive co-operation, the commission refrained from launching certain infringement procedures for over a year to create the space to look for joint solutions with the UK.
“However, the UK’s unwillingness to engage in meaningful discussion since last February and the continued passage of the Northern Ireland protocol bill through the UK parliament go directly against this spirit.”
The UK has been at a stalemate position with the EU over prevented a hard border on the island of Ireland by keeping Northern Ireland in the single market — since its inception.
This means that goods entering Northern Ireland from mainland Britain must undergo checks.
The UK government, which negotiated and agreed to the protocol insists that it endangers the Good Friday Agreement it was made to protect and which ended decades of bloody sectarian violence in Ireland.
Westminster now wants the whole treaty be renegotiated which Brussels has steadfastly rejected, calling for solutions to be found within its framework.
The government says customs checks are disrupting trade and causing delays, as well as causing problems with those who do not want the province to be treated differently from Britain.
At the core of the Northern Ireland Bill are plans to simplify checks on goods travelling between Britain and the province by creating so-called green and red lanes.
Under the agreement covered by the Northern ireland Bill, goods that enter Northern Ireland from mainland Britain would be able to enter the green lane where there would be no checks and minimal paperwork, which is frustrating businesses.
Goods that move from Britain to Ireland would have to use a red lane, where checks would be applied at Northern Ireland ports. This is so the EU can be certain that goods entering its market are compatible with the its trade rules.
The Northern Ireland protocol bill cleared its final stages in the Commons just days ago by 267 votes to 195 and will be sent to the House of Lords in the autumn.
These were related to the UK’s draft bill to unilaterally override parts of the international treaty, the continued lack of infrastructure and staffing to carry out customs checks in the UK, and London’s failure to share trading data as required under the Protocol.
The British legislation unveiled last month and currently making its way through parliament would override parts of the agreement by creating so-called green and red channels to waive customs checks for goods travelling between Great Britain and Northern Ireland and are intended for the Northern Irish market only. It has been branded “illegal” by Brussels.
The Commission confirmed on Friday that they have not yet received a reply from the UK.
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