EU takes UK to court in blow to London’s proposed ‘reset’

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Brussels is taking the UK to the European Court of Justice in two cases, casting a shadow over Sir Keir Starmer’s proposed “reset” of relations with the EU.

The European Commission has opened cases on the treatment of the UK EU citizens and its failure to end bilateral investment deals with six member states.

The first complaint dates back to 2020, and legal action was suspended last year as London and Brussels sought to resolve differences over trade arrangements between Britain and Northern Ireland.

But the commission announced on Monday that it would take the case to court as its right to leave the EU expires on December 31.

Until then, the ECJ can still rule until 2021, when the UK’s post-Brexit transition period ends.

The Commission claims that the UK has, among other things, imposed unfair restrictions on the right of family members of EU citizens to live in the country.

“Several elements of the complaints remain unaddressed, including the rights of workers and the rights of extended family members,” the commission said in a statement.

In the second case, the commission says, the UK should have ended bilateral investment agreements with six member states on leaving the EU.

Downing Street said: “We are not going to comment on the legal processes. This refers to the time when we were an EU member state and in the transition period.”

The decision by Brussels to proceed comes at a sensitive time as Britain and the EU try to draw a line under three years of trouble, with the new Labor government looking to “reset” relations to improve trade and defense ties.

Starmer will meet his 27 EU counterparts for an informal dinner in February, the first such meeting since Britain left the trading bloc.

Chancellor of Great Britain Rachel Reeves It met fellow finance ministers this month to argue for better EU access for the financial services sector, which was not covered by the post-Brexit Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

Reeves said it would be in the interests of both sides to remove the trade barriers put in place when the UK leaves the single market ahead of detailed talks expected to start next year.