THE European Commission have hit back at Boris Johnson's plan to renege on the Brexit withdrawal agreement - saying it is a “prerequisite” for a free trade deal to be reached with the UK.
Diplomats and officials in Brussels expressed shock at the Prime Minister's plans to override aspects of the treaty in which the Prime Minister agreed to checks on goods between Northern Ireland and Britain, in order to preserve an open border on the island in line with the peace process.
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“The full implementation of the withdrawal agreement and in particular the protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland are essential,” a spokesman for the European Commission said.
“These are legal obligations under international law, this is a matter of trust, this is a prerequisite, a precondition for the negotiations on the future partnership. I think that’s clear and I don’t think we need to say any more.”
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The internal market Bill, to be published on Wednesday, would “clearly and consciously” undermine the agreement on Northern Ireland by revoking requirements for checks between the islands and an obligation for EU state aid rules to apply to the region, the Financial Times wrote, citing people familiar with the plans.
The report, which was not denied by Downing Street, hiked tensions ahead of the start of the latest round of Brexit talks in London on Tuesday.
The UK Government on Sunday released comments from a speech set to be given by prime minister Boris Johnson, in which he declares that not reaching a deal “would be a good outcome for the UK” and insists that a deal must be reached by October 15th.
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