| Author (Corporate) | Cardiff EDC (Compiler) |
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| Publication Date | 2018- |
| Content Type | Overview |
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Summary: Protocol signed by the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) aimed at regulating the situation in the island of Ireland following the UK's withdrawal from the European Union. *this dedicated page is under development by the ESO team* Further information: Both the UK and the EU acknowledged the unique situation of Ireland and Northern Ireland since early on in the withdrawal negotiations. This did not prevent the issue from becoming one of the major sticking issues throughout the talks. The UK Government published its position on the matter in August 2017, followed by the European Commission in September 2017. It was reported in December 2017 that an overall agreement on the withdrawal had been blocked by dissatisfied Northern Irish unionists (which then were providing support to the UK Government in Parliament). The UK Prime Minister later published a Paper setting out her commitments to the territory. A specific solution was eventually agreed to reconcile the different interests at play. A first version was published in November 2018, followed by an amended 'New Protocol' in October 2019. It includes:
Both sides also agreed on the creation of a mechanism on 'consent', aimed at providing the Northern Ireland Assesmby a say on the long-term application of relevant EU law in the territory. This means tthat four years after the end of the transition period, the Assembly can give consent or discontinue the application of relevant EU law. The Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland was set to become applicable at the end of the transition period. It was expected that it would apply alongside any agreement on a future partnership between the EU and the UK. A Specialised Committee on the Protocol was established under Article 165 of the Withdrawal Agreement to facilitate the implementation and application of the Protocol and make recommendations. The first meeting was held on 30 April 2020 and the second on 16 July. Media sources reported in April 2020 on a disagreement between the UK and the EU over a request from the latter on opening a technical office in Belfast to follow the implementation of the Protocol. |
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| Subject Categories | Politics and International Relations |
| Subject Tags | Brexit, Regional Dimension |
| Keywords | Brexit [After the Referendum], Post-Brexit |
| Countries / Regions | Ireland, United Kingdom |
| International Organisations | European Union [EU] |
