The European Commission still did not receive the United Kingdom's response to a letter regarding London's violations of the Brexit agreement, Daniel Ferrie, the commission's spokesman, said on Tuesday
BRUSSELS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd November, 2020) The European Commission still did not receive the United Kingdom's response to a letter regarding London's violations of the Brexit agreement, Daniel Ferrie, the commission's spokesman, said on Tuesday.
"We sent a letter of formal notice on October 1 to the UK for breaching its obligations under the withdrawal agreement. As you know, it had until the end of the month to submit its observations to that letter. Today, I can confirm that the EU has received no reply from the UK," Ferrie said during an online press briefing.
The spokesman added that the EU is considering the next steps, including issuing a reasoned opinion on UK's violations, and wants to achieve the "full, timely and effective implementation" of the withdrawal agreement.
In September, the UK government tabled the internal market bill, which goes sideways with the Brexit agreement, according to the European Union. The EU demanded official clarification of the bill and sent a letter to the UK on October 1. London was supposed to respond within one month.
In addition to the UK's internal market bill, which appears to alter certain state aid and customs regulations in Northern Ireland that were agreed in the Brexit agreement, the issues of workers' rights, environmental regulations and fisheries remain among the main sticking points in the UK-EU negotiations.
The UK left the EU in January but remains under the current EU trade terms. However, if no trade deal is secured before the transition period expires on December 31, the World Trade Organization's rules for both parties will come into effect starting in 2021, including customs tariffs and full border checks for UK goods entering the EU. The UK has rejected the possibility of extending the transition period despite disagreements.
