London will inform Brussels of its decision on Thursday in its official response to seven lawsuits brought by the EU over the UK’s alleged failure to comply with the Northern Ireland Protocol. The UK will also call for a full select committee on EU programmes, the official forum for Brexit implementation issues, to be held next week. This could be interpreted as a sign that further action will be announced next week with the possibility of triggering Article 16, or an announcement that the UK is ready to formally re-enter the talks. EU and Irish leaders hope the opportunity to heal the rift will be seized after strong reminders this week of the Queen’s role in Irish reconciliation and ahead of a possible meeting between UK Prime Minister Liz Truss and US President Joe Biden. , next week. Downing Street is not making any statement on the matter as political work remains pending during the Queen’s ten-day mourning period. The UK believes that extending the grace period on goods controls will create the necessary space for solutions to the protracted dispute with Brussels. This means that agricultural products, including sausages, ready meals and dairy products from Great Britain, will be able to continue to be delivered to shops in Northern Ireland without physical checks that they comply with EU standards. The UK argues it is a necessary move to maintain business stability as well as fulfill a promise to unionist political parties, which oppose the protocol. Brussels is not expected to respond until it fully assesses the UK’s response. The EU is bracing for another bitter battle with the UK over the Northern Ireland Protocol after Trudeau’s decision in June to table new laws that would allow the UK to scrap parts of the protocol entirely, which legal experts say would mean a violation of INTERNATIONAL LAW. The lack of political rhetoric, prompted by the Queen’s death, could prevent a difficult meeting with Biden on the sidelines of next week’s funeral and a possible bilateral meeting with Liz Truss in the US next week. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. The letter to the EU comes two months after the European Commission launched four infringement proceedings, accusing London of failing to comply with the implementation of customs checks and risk checks on the movement of goods into Northern Ireland. It also accused the UK of failing to apply VAT rules or follow notification procedures for alcohol duties. The four proceedings followed three separate lawsuits issued last month by Brussels. The legal proceedings began in March 2021 when former Brexit Secretary Lord Frost first unilaterally suspended Brexit controls on agricultural produce and other goods. Brussels is now expected to press ahead with the legal process but, like the UK, will take a two-pronged approach with the aim of finding a negotiated solution.
