![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Brexit-deal-changes-696x392.jpg\" "\\"Brexit")
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The EU has announced new legal action against the UK government over its plans to scrap parts of the post-Brexit deal for Northern Ireland.<\/p>\n
Ministers outlined a bill on Monday aimed at unilaterally changing trade, tax and governance arrangements in the 2020 deal.<\/p>\n
The treaty was agreed by both sides but the UK says it has disrupted trade and power-sharing in Northern Ireland.<\/p>\n
But the EU says overriding parts of the deal would break international law.<\/p>\n
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European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic said there was \u201cno legal or political justification whatsoever for unilaterally changing an international agreement\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo let\u2019s call a spade a spade, this is illegal,\u201d Mr Sefcovic said, adding that the UK\u2019s decision \u201cleft us with no choice\u201d but to take legal action.<\/p>\n
The Northern Ireland Protocol is a special arrangement that keeps Northern Ireland in the EU\u2019s single market for goods, avoiding a hard border with the Republic of Ireland.<\/p>\n
The arrangement ensured free trade could continue across the Irish land border, which is a sensitive issue because of the history of conflict in Northern Ireland.<\/p>\n
But the protocol brought in some new checks on goods moving between Great Britain and Northern Ireland and has been criticised by unionist politicians.<\/p>\n
However, the majority of politicians elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in last month\u2019s elections support the arrangements.<\/p>\n
READ MORE:<\/strong><\/p>\n The European Commission said it would restart legal action \u2013 paused in March 2021 \u2013 over the UK\u2019s decision to delay checks on certain goods arriving into Northern Ireland from Great Britain.<\/p>\n The Commission also launched two new proceedings over claims the UK has failed in its obligations to share trade data and set up border inspection posts.<\/p>\n These legal steps could eventually lead to the UK being fined under a dispute process overseen by the European Court of Justice (ECJ).<\/p>\n The UK government says it would prefer to agree changes with the EU, rather than act alone to scrap parts of the protocol.<\/p>\n Earlier this week, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said the government\u2019s move was \u201ca reasonable, practical solution to the problems facing Northern Ireland\u201d and that the UK could \u201conly make progress through negotiations if the EU are willing to change the protocol itself\u201d.<\/p>\n The issue could come up when Boris Johnson appears in front of MPs for Prime Minister\u2019s Questions later.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n