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British exclave Gibraltar in southern Spain: The EU Commission accuses Great Britain of illegal subsidies
Photo: Emilio Morenatti / dpa
In the midst of the controversies about Brexit regulations and delayed corona vaccine deliveries, the EU Commission has sued Great Britain before the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) in Luxembourg, said Vice Commissioner Margrethe Vestager.
It concerns possible violations of EU competition law due to illegal subsidies for companies in Gibraltar.
Overall, according to the Commission, it is illegal state aid amounting to up to 100 million euros.
This has led to unfair advantages for some companies.
Two years ago, the UK and local authorities were asked to withdraw this aid.
However, because this only happened in parts, the decision has now been made to file a lawsuit.
So far, only 20 percent of what the Commission considers illegal support has been repaid.
The Commission emphasized that the Brexit agreement entitles them to take the UK to the ECJ for failure to implement EU decisions made before December 31, 2020.
The dispute over border controls in Northern Ireland has also escalated
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Just a few days ago, the EU Commission initiated two infringement proceedings against Great Britain in the dispute over border controls in Northern Ireland and activated the dispute settlement mechanism provided for in the Brexit agreement.
She accuses the government in London of violating the Withdrawal Agreement by extending transitional regulations for controls on imports of goods into Northern Ireland.
A dispute with the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca over massive backlogs in the delivery of corona vaccination doses for the EU is also burdening the relationship between Brussels and London.
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bah / dpa / AFP
