EU Ready to Escalate Brexit Clash If U.K. Quits Northern Ireland Pact
- U.K. has demanded significant rewrite of Northern Ireland pact
- The two sides renewed efforts to find a solution this week
Trucks at Larne Port in Northern Ireland, U.K., on Oct. 12.
Photographer: Mark Marlow/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
The European Union’s chief Brexit negotiator told member states they should be ready with a dramatic response if the U.K. makes good on threats to ditch its commitments over trade with Northern Ireland.
European Commissioner Maros Sefcovic struck a conciliatory tone on Wednesday evening as he presented his proposals for resolving the stand off over Northern Ireland in public. But earlier in the day he told European diplomats meeting behind closed doors that the bloc would retaliate forcefully if the U.K. seeks to pull out of the Northern Ireland protocol, according to two officials briefed on the conversation.