EU to beef up Brexit deal enforcement capabilities with tariffs

Published date01 December 2022
Europe Correspondent The European Union is to enhance its powers to enforce its Brexit agreement with Britain through retaliatory trade tariffs

The new legislation will empower the EU to revoke free trade arrangements with Britain and impose restrictions on investment or other activities if London breaches its side of deals signed during the Brexit process, including the Northern Ireland protocol.

The European Commission's Brexit lead, Maros Sefcovic, said the new powers would "allow us, if needed to enforce our agreements with the UK", describing it as "continued unity in action".

Negotiators representing the European Parliament, European Commission and member states agreed on the text of the legislation to increase the EU's enforcement powers yesterday evening, paving the way for the measures to come into force early next year.

The EU was prompted to beef up its enforcement options by London's move to introduce the Internal Market Bill in 2020, which would have given the British government the power to unilaterally disapply parts of the protocol, and then the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill this year which would similarly allow ministers to override post-Brexit arrangements for the North.

The increased powers are designed as a way to force London to uphold its side of the agreement, particularly if the British government refuses to engage in the ordinary dispute-resolution mechanisms set out in the signed deals.

Enforcement mechanism "I take no pleasure in saying this, but the EU would have no option but to respond proportionately to protect the single market," said Seán Kelly, the Fine Gael MEP who was a lead negotiator in the talks on behalf of the parliament's international trade committee.

"Of course, we would prefer if the enforcement mechanisms were not needed.

"Politically, this regulation is a strong statement of EU unity and readiness to take action if the UK were to breach either agreements...

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