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Post-Brexit Governance NI

Protocol Analysis

The Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland has attracted considerable attention and much has been written about the politics surrounding its adoption as part of the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement as well as the challenges surrounding its implementation, including as regards the amendments introduced by the Windsor Framework.

Here we draw together details of UK Government and EU as well as expert/academic analyses of the Withdrawal Agreement (2020) and the Protocol (2020) as well as the Windsor Framework (2023), including in the context of the wider UK-EU relationship governed by the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. 

For extended analysis of the Protocol in the wider context of post-EU Exit regulatory environment of Northern Ireland see research commissioned by the Department for the Economy on ''.

  • UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement

    UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement

    Official Journal (2020) , L 29, 31 January 

    For UK implementation: 

    , 26 June 2018

    , 23 January 2020

    For EU Implementation:

    Official Journal, , L 29, 31 January 

    EU and UK Government Explainers

    European Commission (2019) , TF50 (2019) 59 – Commission to EU 27, Brussels, 8 February 

    European Commission (2020) Questions and Answers on the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union on 31 January 2020, 24 January 

    UK Government (2018) , London, 14 November

    Think Tank and Other Analyses

    House of Commons Library (2019) , 8 July

    House of Lords - European Union Committee (2020) , HL Paper 66, 1 June

    Institute for Government (2020) , 20 July

    Liefländer, T. et al (eds) (2021) (Oxford: Oxford University Press)

    Academic Analyses

    Barnard, C. ''  in C. McCrudden (ed.) 2022. The Law and Practice of the Ireland-Northern Ireland Protocol Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. pp. 107-117

    Dashwood, A. (2020) ‘The Withdrawal Agreement: common provisions, governance and dispute settlement’, European Law Review, 45(2), 183-92

    Dougan, M. (2020) ‘So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye: The UK’s Withdrawal Package’, Common Market Law Review, 57 (3), 631-704

    Dougan, M. (2021) , Oxford: Oxford University Press 

    Fabbrini, F. (ed) (2020) The Law and Politics of Brexit – Volume II: The Withdrawal Agreement, Oxford: Oxford University Press (Working Paper versions of chapters available )

    Fabbrini F. (ed.) (2021) The Law & Politics of Brexit – Volume III: The Framework of New EU-UK Relationships, Oxford: Oxford University Press (Working Paper versions of chapters available )

    Larik, J. (2020) ‘’, The American Journal of International Law, 114 (3), 443-62

    Peers, S. (2020) '', Yearbook of European Law, 39, 122–98

    Schiek, D. (2021) , DCU Brexit Institute Working Paper, 9-2021, April

     

  • Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland

    EU Explainers

    European Commission (2019) , Brussels, 18 October

    European Commission (2020) , 20 April 

    UK Government Explainers and Command Papers

    UK Government (2019) , October

    UK Government (2020) , CP226, May 

    UK Government (2020) , CP346, December

    UK Government (2021) , CP502, July

    Think Tank and Other Analyses

    Cave, S. and Allen, M. (2020) '', Northern Ireland Assembly - Research and Information Service Briefing Paper, No. 33/20, 18 June

    Hayward, K. et al (2021) , UK in a Changing Europe, April 

    Liefländer, T. et al (eds) (2021) , Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 407-86

    Sargeant, J. at al (2020) , Institute for Government

    Spisak, A.  (2020) , Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, March

    Spisak, A.  (2022) , Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, June

    Stojanovic, A. (2020) , Institute for Government, February 

    von Ondarza, N. (2021) ', Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, September

    Academic Analyses

    Anthony, G. '' in C. McCrudden (ed.) 2022. The Law and Practice of the Ireland-Northern Ireland Protocol Cambridge: Cambridge University Press . pp. 118-128

    Fabbrini F. (ed.) (2022) , Oxford: Oxford University Press (Working Paper versions of chapters available )

    Fennelly, D. '' in C. McCrudden (ed.) 2022. The Law and Practice of the Ireland-Northern Ireland Protocol Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. pp. 129-140

    Harvey, C. (2020). ‘’, Brexit Institute Working Paper Series, No 6, May

    McCrudden, C. (ed) 2022.  Cambridge University Press: Cambridge

    Phinnemore, D. (2020) ‘’, European Foreign Affairs Review, 25 (4), 631-50

    Phinnemore, D. (2020) ‘’, in  Westlake, M. (ed) Outside the EU: Options for Britain, Agenda Publishing, p. 163-75

    Weatherill, S. (2020), ‘’, European Law Review, 45 (2), 222-236

    Weatherill, S. (2020), ‘', EU Law Analysis, 17 March

  • Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland (drafts and 'backstop' version)

    Explainers and Analyses of the 'backstop' version of the Protocol agreed by the EU and the UK in 2018: 

    Phinnemore, D. and Hayward, K. (2018) ‘’ UK in a Changing Europe, 7 November 

    UK Government (2018) , 14 November

    UK Government (2018) , 14 November

    Explainers and Analyses of the original draft of the Protocol produced by the European Commission

    de Mars, S. et al (2018), , Newcastle University/Durham University/University of Birmingham

    Repasi, R. (2018) , European Research Centre for Economic and Financial Governance

    Schiek, D.G. (2018), , Â鶹Íø Law Research Paper, 2018-05

  • Article 2 Protocol: Rights of individuals

    Murray, C.R.G. and Rice, C.A.R. (2021) '', Northern Ireland Legal Quarterly

    McCrudden, C. (2020) , House of Commons European Scrutiny Committee

    McCrudden, C. '' in C. McCrudden (ed.) 2022. The Law and Practice of the Ireland-Northern Ireland Protocol Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. pp. 143 - 158.  

    O'Donoghue, A. (2021) '', Brexit Institute Working Paper, No. 15

    Â鶹Íø Human Rights Centre/Donia Human Rights Centre University of Michigan/Social Change Initiative (2021) Human Rights and Equality in Northern Ireland Under the Protocol: A Practical Guide

  • Article 3 Protocol: Common Travel Area

    Maher, I. (2021) '', Brexit Institute Working Paper, No. 17, November

    Maher, I. ' in C. McCrudden (ed.) 2022. The Law and Practice of the Ireland-Northern Ireland Protocol Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. pp. 173-182.

    de Mars, S. and Murray, C.R.G. (2020) '', German Law Journal, 21

  • Articles 4-7 Protocol: Movement of Goods

    Barnard, C. and Leinarte, E. (2021) '', University of Cambridge Faculty of Law Research Paper, No. 31/2021, November

    Curtis, J. and Walker, N. (2021) '', House of Commons Library Research Briefing, 18 February

    Gasiorek, M. and Jerzewska, A. (2020) '', UKTPO Briefing Paper, 41, June 

    Hayward, K. (2021) '', QPol, 4 January

    Jerzewska, A. (2022) '' in C. McCrudden (ed.) The Law and Practice of the Ireland-Northern Ireland Protocol Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. pp. 207-218

    Peretz, G. and Artley, A. (2020) , Tax Journal, 17 April

  • Article 8: VAT and excise

    Pidgeon, C. and Regan, E. (2020) '', Northern Ireland Assembly - Research and Information Service Briefing Paper, No. 27/20, 21 May

  • Article 9: Single electricity market

    Stennett, A. with Regan, E. (2020) '', Northern Ireland Assembly - Research and Information Service Briefing Paper, No. 30/20, 21 May

    Whitten, L. C. and Robb, N. (2022) '' UK in a Changing Europe, 29 Nov 2022. 

  • Article 10: State aid

    Peretz, G. and Artley, A. (2020) '', Tax Journal, 11 May

    Peretz, G. (2022) '' in C. McCrudden (ed.) The Law and Practice of the Ireland-Northern Ireland Protocol Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. pp. 232-244

    Pidgeon, C. (2020) '', Northern Ireland Assembly - Research and Information Service Briefing Paper, No. 29/20, 21 May

     

  • Article 11: Other areas of North-South cooperation

    Dobbs, M. and Gravey, V. (2022) '' in C. McCrudden (ed.) The Law and Practice of the Ireland-Northern Ireland Protocol Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. pp. 245-255

    European Commission (2019), , 21 June

    UK Government (2017) , n.d.

    UK Government (2018) , 7 December

    Whitten, L. C. (2022) '' The Journal for Cross Border Studies in Ireland Vol. 17 pp. 18-34. 

     

    On North-South cooperation, see also the work of the 

     

  • Article 12: Dispute Settlement (also Articles 167-181 WA)

    Dashwood, A. (2020) ‘The Withdrawal Agreement: common provisions, governance and dispute settlement’, European Law Review, 45(2), 183-92

    Dellow-Perry, E. (2021) '', Research Matters, 23 March

    Fella, S. (2020) 'The UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement: dispute settlement and EU powers', House of Commons Library Briefing Paper, No. 9016, 2 October

    Larik, J. (2020) '’, Brexit Institute Working Paper Series, No 4, May

    Larik, J. (2021) '', Brexit Institute Working Paper Series, No. 16, November

    Wouters, J. '' in C. McCrudden (ed.) 2022. The Law and Practice of the Ireland-Northern Ireland Protocol Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. pp. 55-66

    See also 'Article 16: Safeguards'

     

     

  • Articles 12-13: Implementation, decision-making, Stormont Brakes and Stakeholder Engagement (see also Articles 13-15)

    Hayward, K. and Phinnemore, D. (2020) '', UK in a Changing Europe, 9 April

    Hayward, K. et al (2020) , Â鶹Íø/UK in a Changing Europe, May

    Stormont Brakes

    Riekeles, G.E. (2023) '', European Policy Centre, 27 April

    Sargeant, J. and Savur, S. (2023) '', Institute for Government, 10 March

    Torrance, D. (2023) '', House of Commons Library Briefing Paper, No. 9757, 30 March

    Stakeholder Engagement

    Hayward, K. and Komorova, M. (2022) , UK in a Changing Europe/Queen’s University Belfast, October

     

  • Articles 13-15: Joint Committee/Specialised Committee/Joint Consultative Working Group (also Articles 164-165 WA)

    Hayward, K. et al (2020) , Â鶹Íø/UK in a Changing Europe, May

    Hayward, K. (2022) '' in C. McCrudden (ed.) The Law and Practice of the Ireland-Northern Ireland Protocol Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. pp. 44-54

    Larik, J. (2021) '', Brexit Institute Working Paper Series, No. 16, November

    Phinnemore, D. '', Journal of Common Market Studies, 2022 (early view)

    RAISE - Finance and Economics (2020) '', Northern Ireland Assembly - Research and Information Service Briefing Paper, No. 29/20, 21 May

    Joint Committee

    Curtis, J. and Fella, S. (2020) '', House of Commons Library Briefing Paper, No. 8996, 2 September

    Speclialised Committee

    Phinnemore, D. (2020) '', UK in a Changing Europe, 28 April

    Joint Consultative Working Group

    Hayward, K. and Phinnemore, D. (2020) '', QPOL, 30 April

  • Article 16: Safeguards

    Curtis, J. (2021) '', House of Commons Library Insight, 2 February

    Curtis, J. (2021) '', House of Commons Library Research Briefing, No. 9330, 26 November

    Green, D.A. (2021) '', The Law and Policy Blog, 16 February

    Hayward, K. and Phinnemore, D. (2021) , LSE Brexit Blog, 11 January 

    Howse, R. (2021) '', DCU Brexit Institute Working Paper Series, No. 14, 10 November 

    Keohane, D. (2021) , DCU Brexit Institute, 3 February

    Melo Araujo, B. (2021) '' April/June

    Melo Araujo, B. and Brittain, S. '' in C. McCrudden (ed.) 2022. The Law and Practice of the Ireland-Northern Ireland Protocol Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. pp. 309-321

    Rice, C. (2021) '', UK in a Changing Europe, 8 February 

  • Article 18: Democratic Consent

    Dellow-Perry, E. (2021) '', Research Matters, 28 July

    Phinnemore, D. (2020) '', QPol, 6 January

    Sargeant, J. (2021) , Institute for Government, 1 March

    Tobin, J. (2020) , House of Lords Library, 27 November

    UK Government (2019) , 19 October

    UK Legislation

    , 9 December 2020

    , November 2020

  • Windsor Framework: EU and UK Government Explainers

    European Commission (2023) , 27 February

    European Commission (2023) , 27 February

    UK Government (2023) , 27 February

    UK Government (2023) , 27 February

    UK Government (2023) , 27 February

    UK Government (2023) , 27 February 

    UK Government (2023) , 27 February

    UK Government (2023) , 27 February 

    UK Government (2023)  27 February

    UK Government (2023) , 27 February

  • Windsor Framework: Think Tanks and Others

    Curtis, J. et al. (2023) '', House of Commons Library Research Briefing, CBP9736, 21 March

    Gravey, V. and Whitten, L. C. (2023) '', Brexit & Environment, 7 March

    Gravey, V. and Whitten, L. C. (2023) '' Brexit & Environment, 8 March

    Horne, A. (2023) '', UK in a Changing Europe, 2 March

    McCormick, A. (2023) '', UK in a Changing Europe, 28 February 

    Rice, C. (2003) '', UK in a Changing Europe, 16 March

    Sargeant, J. et al. (2023) '' Institute for Government, 28 February

    SzczepaÅ„ski, M. (2023), '', European Parliamentary Research Service, April 

     

    For Stormont Brake, see Article 12-13.

  • Windsor Framework: Academic Analyses

    Hayward, K. , Â鶹Íø, August 2023

    Murray, C. and Robb, N. (2023) '', Northern Ireland Legal Quarterly, 74 (AD1), pp. 1-21

     

  • Windsor Framework and EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement

    Melo-Araujo, B. (2024) '' Common Market Law Review 61(3) pp.727-766