EU expects UK to trigger Article 16 – report
The European Union is intensifying preparations for its response in case the United Kingdom triggers Article 16, RTE reported on Friday. The article would allow the UK to unilaterally suspend the Northern Ireland Protocol if the application of the protocol “leads to serious economic, societal or environmental difficulties.”
According to EU sources, the European Commission is in talks with member states to weigh its options after the UK rejected the union’s latest proposals to change the NI Protocol. The report also claims there is “exasperation among member states at the UK tactics, and the need to draw a line under the issue,” as well as the opinion that the EU’s proposals went “too far” in an effort to compromise with London. The bloc’s response could be harsher than expected, including suspending the Brexit trade agreement with the UK or even terminating it, the report added.
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