The EU may introduce tariffs on UK fish and farm products in just seven days if Boris Johnson goes ahead with moves discard parts of Brexit Northern Ireland protocol- said experts in the field of law.
Short sharp shock one of three key reciprocal weapon available through trade agreement, according to Katherine Barnard, professor of EU Law at the University of Cambridge.
1. Nuclear option – finish trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) using articles 770 and 779
These items allow EU stop everything trade agreement, writing the end of tariff-free trade in both directions along with all other elements of deal, including a 90-day visa-free holiday, and a fishery agreement.
In essence, this will return the UK to a no-deal Brexit scenario. with harmful consequences, including suspension of police and security cooperation, serious move with long-term effects for Relations between the EU and the UK.
Since this requires a year notice, this may not be to the liking of Member States who want to show they have real teeth in in face of what do they consider an act of bad UK faith.
2. Finger-on-button option – article 521
It would allow EU suspend trade parts of TCA, leaving all other areas consistent last December, including visa-free holidays and cooperation with the police, safe and sound.
Again, this option may not please member states as it will not serve practical purposes to demonstrate that the EU has teeth.
“It seems unlikely to me that they would do this, because, frankly, if it came to bad what does the EU say about ending part of treaty seems unlikely that they bear on cooperation in other areas”, says Barnard.
3. Trade war in per week – article 506, paragraph 2
This allows EU ‘suspend, in whole or in part”, access to its waters.
This answer may have nothing to do with with Northern Ireland but Barnard says: “Advantage from the EU point of view of view what you need only give seven days’ notice”, so trade war could start within a week.
In addition, article 506 allows for wider retribution, if deemed necessary. If the EU considers a suspension of fishing around the Channel Islands or the island of A person “proportionate to economic or social influence of supposed failure” of United Kingdom to fulfill with threat, he can suspend duty free trade “in whole or in part”.
In other words, it can hit tariffs. on fish and other goods for seven days.
But is this the situation either/or?
agreement governing current trading arrangements – trade and a cooperation agreement – gives significant powers either side to end the relationship. Barnard says: “They are [the EU] could do them all at the same time, but this more perhaps they may try to escalate the situation.”
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For the EU, consider pushing the button on Any of in options just 18 months after UK left block with a trade great deal in in history of trade disputes.
“If you look at the World Trade Organization, the number of disputes between states relatively smallBarnard says. “The whole purpose of dispute resolution mechanism is to resolve arguments, and that’s why you have those provisions in termination agreement and TCA. But instead of talking about resolution, we’re talking about ratchet up arguments in the case of termination of an agreement. It’s unusual”.
