EU bars Britain from cross-border pact on civil courts

FILE PHOTO: Flags of the Union Jack and European Union are seen ahead of the meeting of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in Brussels, Belgium December 9, 2020. Olivier Hoslet/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

LONDON (Reuters) - The European Union has barred Britain from joining a European accord for recognising civil court rulings, a move that could bump up costs for individuals and small companies seeking legal redress abroad.

Britain's membership of the accord, known as the Lugano Convention, ended in December last year when it fully left the EU, and bloc officials said an application to rejoin had been rejected.