UK ‘can’t be trusted’ as negotiating partner, says Coveney
The EU is reportedly poised to trigger legal action against the UK over its decision last week to unilaterally extend grace periods for Northern Ireland businesses adjusting to post-Brexit trading arrangements.
Commission chief Maroš Šefčovič set out a number of legal options to member states at a closed-door meeting on Tuesday night. The Commission is expected to issue a letter of formal notice to the UK in the coming days, Irish broadcaster RTE reported.
Elsewhere, the two sides are embroiled in a fresh vaccine row after the bloc accused Britain of imposing export restrictions on Covid-19 shots. In a newsletter sent to some 20,000 subscribers, EU Council president Charles Michel claimed the UK had imposed an “outright ban” on the movement of vaccine supplies.
In response, UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab wrote to Mr Michel to “set the record straight”. “Any references to a UK export ban or any restrictions on vaccines are completely false”, Mr Raab said.
He insisted the government “has not blocked a single Covid-19 vaccine or vaccine components”, adding: “We are all facing this pandemic together.”
ICYMI: New ‘Erasmus’ scheme will not pay tuition or travel costs and living allowance slashed
The replacement for the Erasmus study exchange scheme will not fund tuition or travel costs, it has emerged – and the living allowance has been slashed.
The reality of the new project has triggered fresh accusations that ministers are crushing the hopes of huge numbers of students who want to live, study and travel abroad.
Boris Johnson promised last year that there was “no threat” to the hugely-popular Erasmus programme, but his Brexit trade deal then pulled the plug.
Deputy politics editor Rob Merrick with the full report:
Matt Mathers10 March 2021 09:43
Ireland’s Coveney and EU’s Šefčovič to brief US Congress amid protocol row
Irish minister for foreign affairs Simon Coveney and EU Commission vice president Maroš Šefčovič will today brief members of the US Congress on the latest Brexit developments.
The pair will speak to the ‘Friends of Ireland’ caucaus – an influential bipartisan group on Capitol Hill – to discuss their concerns over the UK’s decision last week to unilateraly change how the Northern Ireland protocol is being implemented.
The Friends of Ireland caucaus is chaired by the Massachusetts Democrat Richard Neal. He also chairs Congress’s Ways and Means Committee, which oversees US trade deals.
Matt Mathers10 March 2021 09:28
EU accuses UK of imposing ‘outright ban’ on Covid-19 vaccine exports
European Council chief Charles Michel has accused the UK of imposing an “outright ban” on Covid-19 exports.
Writing in his weekly briefing note, Mr Michel – who represents the bloc’s 27 members states – said he was “shocked when I hear the accusations of ‘vaccine nationalism’ against the EU.”
Responding, he said: “The UK and the US have imposed an outright ban on the export of vaccines or vaccine components produced on their territory.
“But the European Union, the region with the largest vaccine production capacity in the world, has simply put in place a system for controlling the export of doses produced in the EU.”
Matt Mathers10 March 2021 08:53
EU poised to trigger legal action against UK over unilateral move on Northern Ireland protocol
The EU is expected to launch legal proceedings against the UK this week over its unilateral decision to extend post-Brexit grace periods for Northern Ireland businesses.
Commission chief Maroš Šefčovič set out a number of legal options to member states at a closed-door meeting on Tuesday night.
According to Irish broadcaster RTE, the Commission will issue a letter of formal notice to the UK in the coming days.
Matt Mathers10 March 2021 08:46
Dominic Raab writes to EU over bloc’s claim UK imposed ‘outright ban’ on Covid vaccine exports
Dominic Raab has written to the European Council president after he claimed the UK imposed an “outright ban” on coronavirus vaccine exports.
Charles Michel accused Britain and the US of imposing bans on the movement of jabs as he used a newsletter to hit back at criticisms of the bloc’s vaccine rollout.
Emma Bowden and Sam Blewett have more on this story below:
Matt Mathers10 March 2021 08:29
Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s rolling Brexit coverage
Matt Mathers10 March 2021 08:28