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The European Union is readying measures to impose trade sanctions on the UK in retaliation to any potential move by Conservative leadership favourite Liz Truss to override the Northern Ireland Protocol.

embers in the European Parliament debated the issue on Wednesday as a result of reports emerging in recent weeks that Ms Truss would be willing to trigger the Article 16 mechanism in the post-Brexit withdrawal agreement.

MEPs in Brussels debated the draft legislation which would give them the power to take retaliatory measures, including tariffs and restrictions on UK exports.

Reported by The Times newspaper, David McAllister, the German chairman of the foreign affairs committee, said that the UK had not reciprocated the European Unions goodwill to find practical and flexible solutions to the issues caused by the type of Brexit the UK government has chosen.

The UK government has once again gone down the slope of unilateral action. It is clear that the European Union needs mechanisms to protect our interests, he added.

Meanwhile Sean Kelly, who is the Irish lead negotiator for the trade committee said any measures being considered would facilitate the imposition of restrictions on trade, investment or other activities falling within the scope of the Withdrawal Agreement and the Trade and Co-operation Agreement.

Last week it was briefed that the Foreign Secretary would trigger Article 16 of the protocol before current easing arrangements for checks on goods expire on September 15, just ten days after she potentially takes up the role of Prime Minister.

The Northern Ireland Protocol is an arrangement governing trade across the Irish Sea post-Brexit. Negotiated between the UK and EU as part of the Withdrawal Agreement, it was how both sides overcame the main log-jam in the Brexit divorce talks the Irish land border.

However, unionists here are strongly opposed to the agreement and the DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has said his party will not return to the institutions at Stormont until legislation to override it has progressed fully through Westminster.

The UK Governments Bill will allow them to potentially override parts of the agreement. It is due to come before the House of Lords in early October where peers could potentially force changes to the legislation or delay it.

Northern Ireland Secretary of State Shailesh Vara told the Daily Telegraph newspaper those in the Lords should consider the benefit of passing the legislation as he also claimed the door remains open for [a] negotiated settlement with the European Union.

I very much hope that, as the Bill progresses through the Lords, they will be mindful of the importance of bringing certainty as soon as possible, he added.

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European Union readying retaliatory trade sanctions if Liz Truss moves to override Northern Ireland Protocol - Belfast Telegraph