The Windsor Framework and its impact for Northern Ireland and EU-UK Relations

Abstract

The successful conclusion of the Windsor Framework (WF) was announced to much fanfare in February 2023 and portrayed in some quarters as the beginning of a new dawn for the operation of the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol and EU-UK relations. The aim of this chapter is to look beyond such rhetoric and examine the nature of the reforms under the WF package and the extent to which it represents a significant departure from the rules of the Protocol. It also highlights some of the potential pitfalls associated with these reforms and shows that by seeking to address certain difficulties, the WF creates entirely new ones that undermine the central aims of the Protocol and have the potential threaten the sense of optimism and trust between the parties.

Keywords: Brexit, EU-UK Relations, Northern Ireland, Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland, Windsor Framework