The European Commission “will await developments in London” on the draft Internal Market Bill and did not wish to comment further, on Tuesday 15 September, on a first vote in favour of Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the House of Commons the day before.
“We have been very clear” about the EU's expectations on this issue, the institution’s spokesperson Eric Mamer commented, recalling that EU Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič, had travelled specifically to London last week to put forward the EU's views (see EUROPE 12557/17), namely a request for the bill to be withdrawn.
On Monday evening, British MPs voted 340-263 in favour of continuing the debate on this highly controversial text, which aims to overturn provisions in the Withdrawal Agreement and the Northern Ireland Protocol, giving the government the option of waiving certain obligations in the event of a “no deal” with the EU on the future relationship. A text which does indeed violate this agreement, the British government has acknowledged, but which it believes will be designed to protect the UK from EU threats.
In front of the MPs, Johnson assured them that he had approved and signed in good faith this Withdrawal Agreement and the Protocol to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland in 2019, but that “in recent months” the EU had “threatened” to “block” the flow of goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, thus posing a risk to “the integrity of our country”.
Only 15 Tory MPs did not support this bill, meaning that the rebellion remains contained within the government camp, which receives implicit support for the objectives of its bill.
However, the text will continue its legislative journey next week.
On the morning of Wednesday 16 September, the EU ambassadors in the Committee of Permanent Representatives will take stock of the situation with the EU negotiator, Michel Barnier. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)