“Although the United Kingdom has left the European Union (…), the Government is committed to solving this old case once and for all and is committed to fulfilling its international obligations,” Deputy Finance Minister John Glen said in a statement. written communication. parliament.

In 2018, the European Commission launched infringement proceedings against the UK for failing to take action against undervalued imports of textiles and footwear from China despite various recommendations.

As a result, the British government collected insufficient customs duties. These are the so-called traditional own resources that Member States must transfer directly to the European budget. The Commission demanded 2.7 billion euros from the British.

The Court of Justice of the European Union had confirmed in March last year that the United Kingdom had breached its obligations as a Member State, but asked the Commission to recalculate the amount owed.

That amount was eventually reduced to 1.4 billion euros, but plus 1.2 billion in interest. “The amounts are considerable (…) but they draw a line in this ongoing case,” Glen said.

The United Kingdom left the EU on January 31, 2020. However, the division of property stipulates that the country remains subject to European jurisdiction for violations of European rules at the time of its membership.