Britain could end up leaving the European Union with no legal obligation to pay any sort of Brexit divorce bill, the House of Lords EU Financial Affairs Committee has claimed.
If Britain reaches the end of the two-year Article 50 negotiation period without any concrete deal in place with the 27-EU member states, it would be in a strong legal position not to have to pay any formal settlement with Brussels, the Lords committee said, according to a report from the BBC.
“Although there are competing interpretations, we conclude that if agreement is not reached, all EU law — including provisions concerning ongoing financial contributions and machinery for adjudication — will cease to apply, and the UK would be subject to no enforceable obligation to make any financial contribution at all,” it said.
