A bill to scrap parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol will be introduced in the House of Commons on Monday afternoon.
The legislation would allow ministers to overwrite parts of the protocol, with foreign secretary Liz Truss previously saying it comes in an effort to reduce “unnecessary bureaucracy” and protect the Good Friday Agreement.
She is expected to speak to European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic ahead of the publication.
The protocol was jointly agreed by the UK and EU to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic after Brexit.
The arrangements instead require regulatory checks and customs declarations on goods moving between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
READ MORE: Truss defends NI Protocol dismantling plans
Unionists in Northern Ireland have opposed the international treaty, claiming it has undermined the region’s place within the United Kingdom.
The bill due to come before Parliament will see the Government move despite retaliation threats from the EU.
Conservative ministers are hoping the legislation will reduce checks on goods travelling across the Irish Sea.
This could include allowing ministers to remove all customs processes for goods moving within the United Kingdom and enable the frictionless movement of agri-food goods staying within the UK.
However, the legislation is expected to create opposition within the Tory ranks, with some backbenchers arguing that it risk starting a trade war.
A briefing note circulating among those against the Bill reads: “Breaking international law to rip up the Prime Minister’s own treaty is damaging to everything the UK and Conservatives stand for.”
Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis has insisted the new Bill is “lawful” and “correct” but Labour has accused the Government of “law-breaking”.
Mr Lewis told Sky News on Sunday: “What we’re going to do is lawful and it is correct.
“We will be setting out our legal position on this. People will see that what we’re proposing resolves the key issues within the protocol that don’t work.”
But shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said “it does look like the Government plans to break international law”.
She said: “This Government seems to be developing a record for law-breaking and it is not one that the Labour Party can support.”
Downing Street has agreed to publish only a "summary" of the legal advice it received regarding plans for the Northern Ireland Protocol. Mr Lewis inisted “governments don’t publish details behind advice given to ministers”.
A No 10 spokesman said on Friday: “The Bill has been agreed by the relevant cabinet committees and will be introduced to Parliament on Monday.
“We will, alongside the Bill, publish a summary of the legal advice.”
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