The European Parliament has approved, with a huge majority, new rules and procedures that allow the EU to exercise its rights in enforcing and implementing the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement and the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

The new rules give the European Commission the power to restrict trade and investment and suspend preferential treatment in case of any breach of EU-UK agreements by the UK government. The agreement on the new measures that can be adopted were negotiated by the Council and Parliament rapporteurs for the committee on foreign affairs, the committee on international trade, and the committee on constitutional affairs.

According to the new rules, endorsed by 555 MEPs, the European Parliament has scrutiny rights and will be kept informed at every step of these procedures.

Andreas Schieder, rapporteur for the committee on foreign affairs, said:

“The current mood music around the Northern Ireland Protocol negotiations is positive and it is encouraging to see a genuine will for solutions. But the fact remains that the NI Protocol Bill is still in play. If the UK government were to eventually use this bill to unilaterally suspend the Northern Ireland Protocol, even parts of it, and in doing so break its international obligations, we have to be ready to respond. Both the EU and the UK signed up to the Withdrawal Agreement and both parties have to respect it. Our aim is to work together in the spirit of mutual trust and good faith and rely on negotiated solutions to guarantee certainty for citizens and businesses.”