The European Commission has “no signal” that the British are taking their controversial Brexit law off the table.

 

The EU will “not be reluctant” to take legal action against the UK government if the parts of the UK Brexit law that run counter to the EU’s separation treaty are not scrapped, Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič said after the talks with UK Brexit Minister Michael Gove in Brussels.

Earlier this month, the EU demanded that London repeal its internal market legislation this month. But Šefčovič remained vague about what punitive measures the commission is considering if not before October 1.

He recalled that the divorce agreement had been concluded and signed. The Slovak and Gove together oversee the implementation of the Withdrawal Treaty.

According to the committee, the British bill undermines the agreements on Northern Ireland. To prevent another hard border between the Republic of Ireland and British Northern Ireland once the EU and the United Kingdom are finally separated next year, it has been agreed that the EU rules will continue to apply to Northern Ireland.

According to Brussels, the clauses of British internal market legislation are undermining agreements about this.

If Brussels and London fail to negotiate a trade agreement, a chaotic trade will not only be imminent between the EU and the UK from January 1, but also between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.

According to Gove, the clauses in the Brexit law provide a “safety net” for this. He said London would implement the full divorce treaty, but the controversial clauses remain in Brexit law.