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EU takes legal action against UK over planned Brexit bill

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By RAF CASERT and JILL LAWLESS

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29 Comments
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Good.

3 ( +9 / -6 )

"The EU says if the UK wants access to EU markets it must respect standards that EU companies have to live by since Britain is just too close to allow for undercutting rules that would allow for so-called “dumping” of UK merchandise at prices lower than in the EU."

Me loves cake.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

The EU are bullies. The Brits just aren’t that into you anymore. Getting over your hurt feelings and be mature about.

0 ( +10 / -10 )

WolfpackToday  08:24 am JST

The Brits just aren’t that into you anymore. 

You mean the Tories in England. Over-generalising is extremely tedious to read.

-3 ( +6 / -9 )

Boris Johnson, seemly has an unassailable commons majority to ram the UK Internal Market Bill through the commons.

Johnson, Frost, Cummings have called Michel Bernard the EU Commission's Head of Brexit Task Force, the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and the Commissions Institutions bluff.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the British plan

“By its very nature is a breach of the obligation of good faith laid down in the Withdrawal Agreement. If adopted as is, it will be in full contradiction to the protocol of Ireland-Northern Ireland in the withdrawal agreement".

If this statement has any meaning at all, the EU would not still be sitting round the negotiating table.

The reason for all the hot air, and hollow threats, is the sheer size of the trading partnership.

Statistics on UK-EU trade……

The EU, taken as a whole is the UK’s largest trading partner. In 2019, UK exports to the EU were £300 billion (43% of all UK exports). UK imports from the EU were £372 billion (51% of all UK imports).

The share of UK exports accounted for by the EU has generally fallen over time from 54% in 2002 to 43% in 2016, though this increased slightly to 45% in 2019.

The share of UK imports accounted for by the EU fell from 58% in 2002 to 51% in 2019.

The UK had an overall trade deficit of -£72 billion with the EU in 2019. A surplus of £23 billion on trade in services was outweighed by a deficit of -£95 billion on trade in goods.

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-7851/#:~:text=The%20EU%2C%20taken%20as%20a,%25%20of%20all%20UK%20imports).

The European Union taking legal action is futile, in all likelihood the present UK Government will just ignore any ECJ judgement.

Then the commission will have little choice but to implement sanctions.

Which will provoke retaliation, seriously threating the 1 trillion Euro plus trade partnership.

1 ( +6 / -5 )

Sorry, Michel Bernard Barnier, no disrespect intended to the fellow.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

The reason it is so hard to come up with a Brexit deal is because Brexit is a bad idea.

But I must add that sidestepping a signed agreement or contract with another party is generally actionable. I wonder how, though, not knowing how the EU handles legal disputes across its invisible borders? I will admit I do not care much for Johnson.

1 ( +7 / -6 )

The EU is flailing to punish the UK, trying to frighten other EU “partners” into not leaving. It will fail.

-2 ( +6 / -8 )

The EU and IMF is a scam, Christine Lagarde earned millions and paid no tax, all of them in Brussels are riding the gravy train, and increasing their wealth, power base, to totally dictate, their agenda, soon all freedoms will be gone

-1 ( +7 / -8 )

The EU and IMF is a scam, 

Exactly.

-3 ( +6 / -9 )

Christine Lagarde earned millions and paid no tax

As head of the IMF she was paid $468k per year, tax free, as a UN worker.

Got a problem with that?

0 ( +3 / -3 )

The EU, pour encourager les autres, is seeking to punish the Brits. Won't work, because history shows the more jumped up tin pot continentals try and bully Britain, the more it fights back.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

i live in Northern Ireland.

i do not see why the EU should be able to tell us how to trade with the rest of the United Kingdom.

We are part of the U.K.

The EU wants free movement inside the EU, but is trying to block the same free movement inside the UK.

The EU wants their partner, Republic of Southern Ireland (R.o.S.I.), to have unrestricted trade and free movement of people with the North while restricting the trade and free movement of people inside the U.K..

A hard border would be very bad for the South.

It would also be bad for the North as well.

People cross the border both ways for work.

Goods needed for factories, processing plants, (Chickens, Beef, Lamb) etc also cross the border.

example: Beef in A sent to B to be processed and sent back to A to be sold. That would be hit by check delays going both ways. Also by any import / export duties if there is no free trade agreement..

I do not see this ending well for the R.o.S.I. or N.I.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

The EU and IMF is a scam, 

90% of everything is a scam when it comes to pecuniary affairs. "Scamism" would be a perfectly appropriate substitute term for capitalism. Still, watching the EU "take back control" from the perfidious Tories will be my "guilty pleasure" for which the Germans have the "mot juste", Schadenfreude.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

EU to take legal action against UK? What for, adding salt to the already badly wounded UK during this turbulent time? UK's economy is already in real harsh shape, any further financial penalty imposed on it by EU would surely expedite its bankruptcy..

0 ( +1 / -1 )

UK's economy is already in real harsh shape, any further financial penalty imposed on it by EU would surely expedite its bankruptcy

The 52% turkeys should have thought of that before they decided to vote for Christmas.

Johnson thinks he can ride roughshod over laws and agreements, but when he tries to be too clever and flies too close to the wind - like with his prorogue of Parliament fiasco - he, rightly, gets slapped down. Looks like the same will happen with his proclaimed intention to flout international agreements aimed at keeping the peace in Ireland (and by extension in the rest of the UK) and protecting both the EU and the UK from funny business going on across the border.

My sympathies are with the 48% of the UK electorate who voted against this madness back in 2016.

Invalid CSRF

1 ( +4 / -3 )

The EU, pour encourager les autres, is seeking to punish the Brits.

No, the EU is seeking to take legal action for breaching the agreement.

Won't work, because history shows the more jumped up tin pot continentals try and bully Britain, the more it fights back.

Ask the people of Ireland what they think of British intransigence, bullying and genocide while you're at it.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

The EU and IMF is a scam, Christine Lagarde earned millions and paid no tax, all of them in Brussels are riding the gravy train, and increasing their wealth, power base, to totally dictate, their agenda, soon all freedoms will be gone

Freedom of movement?

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Looks like the same will happen with his proclaimed intention to flout international agreements aimed at keeping the peace in Ireland (and by extension in the rest of the UK) and protecting both the EU and the UK from funny business going on across the border.

It seems that some folks don't care much about what happens to Ireland.

Luckily, the GFA has immense support from the US. They will not look kindly on the Johnson govt if he wrecks it.

Nor will the people of Ireland, whatever their aspirations are.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Looks like the Know Nothing party is still alive and well, in certain quarters.

Unfortunately, they aren't as powerful in US politics as the Irish demographic is.

The EU, for all its myriad problems (and there are so many), has been very good for the Republic of Ireland.

Like the US, it will not stand by as the Johnson junta tries to scupper the GFA.

Personally, I think that the Brexit result was a tragedy for the people of the UK. But, it is what it is.

Just stop rushing things. If Ireland can wait a hundred years to leave the UK, am sure the UK can wait a wee bit longer to leave the EU.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Just stop rushing things.

Wise words. Small steps would have been better. For example, starting with a Norway-style arrangement and seeing how that goes. Right now, the situation is quite worrying.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Toasted, I am, never will be comfortable with this UK government breach of International Treaty Law.

The European Commission must step up and fulfill the promise to compensate Ireland, its people and Government for their unyielding loyalty.

In the mist of 2009/10, the UK was the choice for close to 9000, out of the 20,000 that emigrated to, and eventually settle abroad.   

The victims of Ireland's economic collapse

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/may/26/ireland-economic-collapse

Yes, without doubt the GFA must be front and foremost.

Can we just for a moment review, the unpolitical.

UK/Ireland could forge a future outside of the claustrophobic nature of Treaties, and the inflexibility of federalism.  

Together, the question, issue is to be bold and combine the UK/Northern/Southern Ireland resources in a single entity. Outside of EU political interference.     

However, I wouldn’t trust Johnson as far as I could throw him.

Sorry, Johnson thinks with his trousers down. A prattling fool.

Ireland will be ‘top of list’ for EU Brexit fund…..

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/ireland-will-be-top-of-list-for-eu-brexit-fund-1.4309745

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

"My sympathies are with the 48% of the UK electorate who voted against this madness back in 2016."

We (UK) are in for really bad times; a great number of those furloughed will have to join in the kitchen soups at Kings Cross. In fact, my girl and I went there the other day to have a look (nasty, me knows) and t the soup and sandwiches looked delicious.

However, we're refused service because we didn't look downtrodden enough! Redoculous.

I've always admired the overall integrity of yer posts, on every single topic under discussion in this forum.

RESPEC.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

I have a note on live news feeds and reported in the Guardian, that Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen will quote ‘take stock and discuss next steps’ tomorrow/Saturday GMT +01:00, whatever that means?

Boris Johnson to speak to EC chief on Saturday in last-ditch Brexit talks....

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/oct/02/boris-johnson-to-speak-to-ec-chief-ursula-von-der-leyen-saturday-in-last-ditch-brexit-talks

0 ( +0 / -0 )

OMG. Juat end it already.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

The UK seems to want the ability to move people and freight freely across the UK / Irish Republic border as when the UK was part of the EU and between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK freely. The opportunities for firms to play games and avoid legitimate customs and other laws under such circumstances is, I hope, obvious to all. The UK's demand is completely unreasonable. It is also a violation of the agreement they signed with EU. My opinion is that if there is no agreement there should be no trade allowed between UK and EU but I also realize that would hurt a lot of people and firms in the EU who have nothing at all to do with this nuttiness going on in the UK. At this point I could honestly care less about the UK. They are behaving like the CCP with Hong Kong ignoring a solemn agreement because adhering to what they promised isn't as convenient for them as simply ignoring it. Neither is worthy of an ounce of respect.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I could care less means that you still care to some degree. I couldn't care less means you don't care at all.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

The EU wants their partner, Republic of Southern Ireland (R.o.S.I.), to have unrestricted trade and free movement of people with the North while restricting the trade and free movement of people inside the U.K..

That's absolute nonsense.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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