Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

UK tells EU it will keep waiving Northern Ireland Brexit checks

UK tells EU it will keep waiving Northern Ireland Brexit checks

London replies to European Commission in a letter setting out Britain’s unilateral decision to carry on with the status quo.

The U.K. will continue not implementing post-Brexit checks on agri-food and other products entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain, it told the EU in a letter.

The British government replied Thursday to European Commission action over alleged breaches of the Northern Ireland Protocol, a key part of the Brexit divorce deal regulating the arrival of goods in the region from the rest of the U.K.

In a letter, delivered by the U.K.’s mission to the EU, the government set out its unilateral decision to carry on with the status quo, a U.K. official said. British ministers had argued the so-called grace periods were threatened by the Commission’s legal action.

The move stops short of a threat the U.K. had flirted with over the summer — triggering Article 16 of the protocol, an emergency clause allowing either side to suspend parts of it.

The U.K. continues to argue that maintaining the status quo is necessary to allow talks to proceed with the EU on the long-running protocol dispute. It is meanwhile refusing to withdraw its controversial Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, which would eventually allow ministers to impose the U.K.’s unilateral approach permanently.

Following the introduction of that bill in June, the Commission triggered a host of infringement proceedings, taking aim at the way the U.K. is handling the protocol. London argues that the post-Brexit arrangement for Northern Ireland is overly bureaucratic for businesses, and points to deep opposition among unionist politicians in the region. Brussels points out that the U.K. signed up to the arrangement, which was intended to avoid checks at Northern Ireland’s border with EU member state Ireland while protecting the bloc’s single market.

London has also requested a meeting next week to discuss Britain’s frozen accession to EU schemes such as Horizon Europe and Copernicus, as part of the U.K.’s formal dispute proceedings against the Commission over the matter launched last month.

The British government has declined to publish the letter or make any statements on its content as politics remains paused during the 10-day period of mourning for Queen Elizabeth II.

A Commission spokesman confirmed receipt of the letter Thursday morning. “We will analyze the reply before deciding on next steps,” he said.

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will visit London to attend the queen’s funeral Monday, but it remains unclear whether she will meet new Prime Minister Liz Truss before heading to New York for the U.N. General Assembly.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Druzhba Pipeline Incident Sparks Geopolitical Tensions
Cost of Opposition Leader Péter Magyar's Economic Plan Revealed
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Budapest Central European Fashion Week Kicks Off
U.S. Celebrates Labor Day
Hungarian National Team Captain Scores Epic Goal
×