Ireland and Northern Ireland

Abstract

Abstract Of all the regions of the UK, Northern Ireland will be most impacted by Brexit. Of all the Member States of the EU, the Republic of Ireland will also be most affected by UK withdrawal. As this chapter explains, the main challenge concerns how to avoid a ‘hard border’ for the movement of persons or goods across the island of Ireland, of the sort that could undermine cross-community support for the peace process based on the Good Friday Agreement. As for persons: Ireland and the UK have agreed, on a bilateral basis, to maintain the existing Common Travel Area between the two states. As for goods: the EU and the UK agreed to a dedicated Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland that seeks to manage customs and regulatory standards and controls, in a way that avoids a ‘hard border’ across the island of Ireland, while still protecting the EU’s Customs Union and Single Market, and at the same time allowing the UK to pursue regulatory divergence and an independent trade policy.