LONDON — The EU has called for an extraordinary meeting of the EU-U.K. Joint Committee to be held “as soon as possible” to hear London’s plans for an internal market and its impact on the Withdrawal Agreement.

Politicians across Europe and in the U.K. reacted with dismay to the U.K.’s admission on Tuesday that the bill which would seek to alter parts of the Withdrawal Agreement, could breach international law in a “very specific and limited” way.

European Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič called the meeting “so that our U.K. partners elaborate and respond to our strong concerns” on the Internal Market Bill that the British government is to introduce in the U.K. parliament this afternoon.

A Downing Street spokesperson said the U.K. government was happy to meet. “We welcome the request by Vice President Šefčovič for an extraordinary Joint Committee meeting and we will be agreeing a date with the vice president’s team as soon as we can,” the spokesperson said.

At a briefing for journalists Wednesday the spokesperson added that the U.K. sees the current circumstances as very distinct. “The Withdrawal Agreement and the Northern Ireland Protocol aren’t like any other treaty,” the spokesperson said. “It was agreed at pace in the most challenging possible political circumstances to deliver on a clear political decision by the British people and with the clear overriding purpose of protecting the special circumstances of Northern Ireland. It contains ambiguities and in key areas there is a lack of clarity.”

Šefčovič added that in a phone call with U.K. Cabinet Minister Michael Gove on Tuesday night, he made clear “that the Withdrawal Agreement is not open for renegotiation” and that the EU expects “the letter and spirit” of the deal “to be fully respected.”

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson was due to speak to his Irish counterpart Micheál Martin later Wednesday. In an earlier press conference, Martin said the Irish government was “extremely concerned.” He said the “unilateral” nature of the U.K. announcement, which was delivered in the House of Commons Tuesday afternoon by Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis, without any “heads-up” to Dublin, has “the capacity to undermine [Brexit] negotiations.”

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also warned that any plans to breach the Withdrawal Agreement would undermine the EU’s trust in the U.K. at a very sensitive time in the Brexit negotiations.

In a tweet, she said she was “very concerned about announcements from the British government on its intentions to breach the Withdrawal Agreement. This would break international law and undermines trust. Pacta sunt servanda = the foundation of prosperous future relations.”

European Council President Charles Michel tweeted that the Withdrawal Agreement “was concluded and ratified by both sides, it has to be applied in full,” adding: “Breaking international law is not acceptable and does not create the confidence we need to build our future relationship.”

The next Joint Committee meeting had been expected to take place later this month.

This article has been updated with more details.

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