Binnenmarktgesetz
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British House of Commons endangers EU exit negotiations
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The flag of the United Kingdom.
Photo: dpa / Francisco Seco
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London On Monday evening, the British government gave the EU hope that the exit negotiations would move. Meanwhile, parliamentarians reintroduced problematic clauses in the Single Market Act.
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The British House of Commons passed the Single Market Act, which has been severely criticized by the EU, on Monday evening. The parliamentarians voted to restore several clauses that could override parts of the EU Withdrawal Treaty.
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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants to use the law to circumvent customs regulations in trade in goods for the British province of Northern Ireland and requirements on state aid for British companies. His government freely admitted that the unilateral amendment to the Brexit treaty violates international law. The EU Commission initiated infringement proceedings against Great Britain because of the law at the beginning of October.
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The House of Commons approved the Internal Market Act at the end of September. In November, however, the House of Lords rejected several key passages intended to undermine the provisions on Northern Ireland in the Brexit treaty. Now the controversial clauses have been reinserted.
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And this despite the fact that shortly before the start of the debate the government had indicated that it would give in in the coming days and remove or defuse the passages. The move was interpreted as a sign of goodwill in the stalled talks about a Brexit trade pact.
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A prerequisite for giving in, however, is an agreement in the joint committee that is responsible for the implementation of the Northern Ireland provisions of the Withdrawal Treaty, the government said. “The talks are ongoing and final decisions are expected in the coming days,” the statement said.
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It is also expected that the outcome of the negotiations on a trade pact for the period after the Brexit transition phase will also play a role. The talks are currently at a dead end. Prime Minister Boris Johnson now wants to try to untie the knot in a personal conversation with EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen.
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On Tuesday, however, the government wants to introduce another controversial law into the lower house.
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