By Ben Kerrigan-
The EU has launched legal action against the Uk for failing to nominate and EU Commissioner to send to Brussels
Mr Johnson declined the idea, saying that the nomination of a candidate for the incoming EU executive cannot be made during an election period. The Uk prime minister said it is convention that such senior appointments cannot be made by the government during an election period. In other words, the government is obliged to respect Purdah.
The EU disagrees, and rejected the explanation given by the UK.Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen, (pictured) the president elect of The European Commission summarised the EU case against the Uk She argued that “a member state may not invoke provisions prevailing in its domestic legal system to justify failure to observe obligations arising under union law”. Given the long time tension between the EU and the Uk, Johnson is believed to have had tactical reasons not to have presented a nominee to the EU.
The government has been given a week to respond, with a deadline of 22 November.Under the laws of EU treaties, all 28 member states must have one commissioner, each of them together making up the EU executive. The legal action may reflect badly on either of the two parties , making whoever of the two is perceived to be at fault take the blame for any worsening relations