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EU Chief Warns UK Must Respect Brexit Withdrawal Deal

  EU leader Ursula von der Leyen warned Monday that Britain is legally obliged to respect the Brexit withdrawal agreement, which must form the basis … Continue reading EU Chief Warns UK Must Respect Brexit Withdrawal Deal


Newly elected European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen gestures as she attends a news conference after a vote on her election at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France on July 16, 2019. German defence minister Ursula von der Leyen was narrowly elected president of the European Commission on July 16, after winning over sceptical lawmakers. The 60-year-old conservative was nominated to become the first woman in Brussels’ top job last month by the leaders of the bloc’s 28 member states, to the annoyance of many MEPs. FREDERICK FLORIN / AFP
Newly elected European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen gestures as she attends a news conference after a vote on her election at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France on July 16, 2019. FREDERICK FLORIN / AFP.

 

EU leader Ursula von der Leyen warned Monday that Britain is legally obliged to respect the Brexit withdrawal agreement, which must form the basis of bilateral relations going forward.

“I trust the British government to implement the Withdrawal Agreement, an obligation under international law and prerequisite for any future partnership,” the president of the European Commission said.

Von der Leyen issued her warning after The Financial Times reported that Prime Minister Boris Johnson is planning legislation to override parts of the withdrawal treaty that Britain and the EU agreed last year.

The report cited three people close to the plans as saying a bill to be put before parliament this week would undermine agreements relating to Northern Ireland customs and state aid.

In response, Downing Street said only that it was still “working hard to resolve outstanding issues with the Northern Ireland Protocol” but was considering “fall-back options”.

But Von Der Leyen warned that, in Brussels’ view, the clause — which would see the British province continue to follow some EU rules while maintaining an open border with Ireland — is essential.

The protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland, she tweeted, “is essential to protect peace and stability on the island and the integrity of the single market.”

AFP