BORIS Johnson's ill-advised Internal Market Bill was bound to draw a firm response from Brussels; its cavalier willingness to set aside commitments the British government made when it reached a Brexit withdrawal deal with the European Union could demand nothing less.
Yesterday the European Commission, frustrated by three weeks in which Downing Street ignored its appeals for the relevant sections to be removed from the bill, announced it was starting legal proceedings against the British government.
Commission president Ursula von der Leyen argued that by even proposing the bill, Britain had already breached "the obligation of good faith laid down in the Withdrawal Agreement".
These developments are of particular relevance to Northern Ireland.
The controversial elements of the bill contravene the Northern Ireland protocol, that part of the Withdrawal Agreement which promised, among other things, to avoid a hard border.
Indeed, it was the Northern Ireland secretary of state Brandon Lewis who memorably told an astonished House of Commons last month that the Internal Market Bill "does break international law in a very specific and limited way".
The latest development came as EU leaders started a two-day summit in Brussels.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin, who said he supported the commission's legal action, will address the other leaders today with Ireland's view of the current state of the Brexit negotiations.
There is an argument, albeit unconvincing, that the introduction of the Internal Market Bill was simply a ploy by Mr Johnson to apply pressure to the EU at a crucial stage in the talks on trade and future relations; and, continues this line of reasoning, by showing he is prepared to ignore the Withdrawal Agreement, the prime minister has somehow further focused the minds of those involved in the negotiations.
If that is the case, it has come at a tremendous cost to Britain's reputation. Suggesting you are a 'rogue state', willing to break an international agreement, negotiated with neighbouring countries in good faith, is arguably as damaging as actually doing it.
It is hard to see how this enhances the prospects of a trade deal between Britain and the EU, much less one that fully respects the unique status of Northern Ireland and its people.
But a sensible outcome in those talks, and not the chaos sown by the Johnson government, must be the priority in the remaining days and weeks ahead.