EC initiates infringement procedure against Great Britain
21:47
On October 1, the European Commission sent a letter of formal notice to the United Kingdom for breach of obligations under the Withdrawal Agreement (Agreement that governs the UK's exit from the EU. It entered into force on February 1. - ed.)
This marks the start of a formal infringement procedure against the UK. The European Commission indicated in a press release that Art. 5 of the Withdrawal Agreement states that "The European Union and the UK must take all appropriate steps to ensure compliance with the Withdrawal Agreement obligations and refrain from any action that could jeopardize the achievement of these goals. Both parties are bound by an obligation to cooperate in good faith in the performance of tasks under the Withdrawal Agreement. "
The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, recalled that the Commission asked the UK to remove problematic elements from the draft law on the internal market by the end of September, but this did not happen.
"That is why the EC decided this morning to launch an infringement procedure against the UK," she said.
The EC gave the UK one month to reply to a formal letter on this matter. The infringement procedure may lead to a referral to the Court of Justice of the EU and the imposition of financial penalties.
