In an exclusive interview with Sky's Beth Rigby, Maros Sefcovic disputed the UK government's decision to unilaterally overhaul parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol - saying it was "very damaging" to relations with the EU.

The European Union sued Britain on Wednesday (local time) over its move to rewrite the trade rules agreed to when the country left the EU two years ago, ratcheting up tensions between the major economic partners.

Maroš Šefčovič says Brussels will launch fresh legal action against UK over treaty obligations.

Bloc says it will not renegotiate agreement and threatens to take ministers to court for ‘damaging’ unilateral action.

Britain and the EU appear on the brink of a trade war after Brussels accused Boris Johnson of lacking sincerity in negotiations over Northern Ireland’s future. After the latest talks, the EU commissioner Maroš Šefčovič said that despite Brussels’ attempts to find a compromise, 'we have seen no move at all from the UK side'.

The EU will bring forward new proposals for the Northern Ireland Protocol next week, European Commission Vice President Maros Šefčovič has said. He said he hopes they would form the basis for intensive talks with the UK. The protocol avoids a hard border on the island of Ireland by keeping Northern Ireland in the EU's single market for goods.

'Patience is wearing thin' with the UK on the Northern Ireland Brexit protocol, the European Commission's vice-president, Maroš Šefčovič, has warned, adding the EU could retaliate by suspending some cooperation and imposing tariffs.