TOP NEWS: EU considers legal action as Britain extends NI grace period

(Alliance News) - The European Commission is looking into taking legal action after London ...

Alliance News 4 March, 2021 | 2:31PM
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(Alliance News) - The European Commission is looking into taking legal action after London announced plans to extend the grace period on new rules for food deliveries between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.

The EU executive branch is "considering next steps," commission spokesperson Daniel Ferrie told dpa. "We would use the dispute resolution mechanism under the Withdrawal Agreement."

Brussels said Britain had unilaterally extended the transition phase of a key protocol for food deliveries to Northern Ireland until October without consulting the EU. 

To avoid border checks between the Northern Ireland and EU member state Republic of Ireland, London agreed as part of the Brexit withdrawal deal to check goods going to and from Northern Ireland instead.

This creates a goods border between Northern Ireland and other parts of the UK where imports must be controlled. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has always played down the severity of issues this agreement would cause.

A few months' grace period with reduced controls had been agreed with Brussels. But many companies are still facing difficulties in trade between Britain and Northern Ireland. Some supermarket shelves remain empty.

David Frost, the former Brexit negotiator and now Brexit and Europe minister, described the extension as "temporary technical steps."

But on Thursday, the Ireland's Europe Minister Thomas Byrne said it was "risky" and "foolhardy."

"We're very, very concerned," he told the BBC, describing it as "unacceptable."

source: dpa

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