UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement

Official Journal (2020) Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, L 29, 31 January 

For UK implementation: 

European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, 26 June 2018

European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020, 23 January 2020

For EU Implementation:

Official Journal, COUNCIL DECISION (EU) 2020/135 of 30 January 2020 on the conclusion of the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, L 29, 31 January 

EU and UK Government Explainers

European Commission (2019) The EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement explained (slides), 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) Explainer for the agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union, London, 14 November

Think Tank and Other Analyses

House of Commons Library (2019) The UK’s EU Withdrawal Agreement, 8 July

House of Lords - European Union Committee (2020) The Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland, HL Paper 66, 1 June

Institute for Government (2020) Brexit deal: the Withdrawal Agreement, 20 July

Academic Analyses

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

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 here)

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 here)

Larik, J. (2020) ‘Brexit, the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement, and Global Treaty (Re-)Negotiations’, The American Journal of International Law, 114 (3), 443-62

Schiek, D. (2021) 'Brexit and the Implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement', DCU Brexit Institute Working Paper, 9-2021, April

EU Explainers

European Commission (2019) Brexit: What did you agree with the UK today?, Brussels, 18 October

European Commission (2020) Technical note on the implementation of the Protocol on Ireland / Northern Ireland, 20 April 

UK Government Explainers and Command Papers

UK Government (2019) Explainer for the New Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol and the Political Declaration on the Future Relationship, October

UK Government (2020) The UK’s Approach to the Northern Ireland Protocol, CP226, May 

UK Government (2020) The Northern Ireland Protocol, CP346, December

UK Government (2021) Northern Ireland Protocol: the way forward, CP502, July

Think Tank and Other Analyses

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

Hayward, K. et al (2021) The Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland, UK in a Changing Europe, April 

Sargeant, J. at al. (2020) Implementing Brexit: The Northern Ireland Protocol, Institute for Government

Spisak, A.  (2020) After Brexit: Northern Ireland and the Future of the Protocol, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, March

Stojanovic, A. (2020) Brexit Deal: the Northern Ireland Protocol, Institute for Government, February 

Academic Analyses

Harvey, C. (2020). ‘Designing a Special Arrangement for Northern Ireland: the Irish Protocol in Context’, Brexit Institute Working Paper Series, No 6, May

Hayward, K. (2020) 'The UK Approach to the Northern Ireland Protocol’ Command Paper (20 May 2020) – A Précis and Analysis, QPol, May  

Phinnemore, D. (2020) ‘Northern Ireland: A ‘Place Between’ in UK–EU Relations?’, European Foreign Affairs Review, 25 (4), 631-50

Phinnemore, D. (2020) ‘The Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland: A Flexible and Imaginative Solution for the Unique Circumstances on the Island of Ireland?’, in  Westlake, M. (ed) Outside the EU: Options for Britain, Agenda Publishing, p. 163-75

Weatherill, S. (2020), ‘The Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland: protecting the EU's internal market at the expense of the UK's’, European Law Review, 45 (2), 222-236

Weatherill, S. (2020), ‘The Protocol on Ireland/ Northern Ireland: What it says is not what it does', EU Law Analysis, 17 March

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

de Mars, S. et al (2018), The Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland, Newcastle University/Durham University/University of Birmingham, November

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

UK Government (2018) Explainer for the agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union, 14 November

UK Government (2018) Technical explanatory note: Articles 6-8 on the Northern Ireland Protocol, 14 November

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

de Mars, S. et al (2018), Commentary on the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland in the Draft Withdrawal Agreement, Newcastle University/Durham University/University of Birmingham

Repasi, R. (2018) A Legal Assessment of the draft Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland and its Implications for the Integrity of the EU Internal Market, European Research Centre for Economic and Financial Governance, September

Schiek, D.G. (2018), The Island of Ireland and ‘Brexit’ – A Legal-Political Critique of the Draft Withdrawal Agreement, Queen's University Belfast Law Research Paper, No. 2018-05, March

McCrudden, C. (2020) Evidence to the House of Commons European Scrutiny Committee: Parliamentary scrutiny of the Joint Committee and the application of the Northern Ireland Protocol, House of Commons European Scrutiny Committee

Murray, C.R.G. and Rice, C.A.R. (2021) 'Beyond Trade: Implementing the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol’s Human Rights and Equalities Provisions', Northern Ireland Legal Quarterly (forthcoming)

de Mars, S. et al (2020) Continuing EU Citizenship “Rights, Opportunities and Benefits” in Northern Ireland after Brexit, Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission/Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission

de Mars, S. and Murray, C.R.G. (2020) 'With or Without EU? The Common Travel Area After Brexit', German Law Journal, 21

Curtis, J. and Walker, N. (2021) 'The movement of goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland', House of Commons Library Research Briefing, 18 February

Gasiorek, M. and Jerzewska, A. (2020) 'The unresolved difficulties of the Northern Ireland protocol', UKTPO Briefing Paper, 41, June 

Hayward, K. (2021) 'What the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement means for Northern Ireland', QPol, 4 January

Peretz, G. and Artley, A. (2020) 'Customs and the Northern Ireland Protocol', Tax Journal, 17 April

Pidgeon, C. and Regan, E. (2020) 'Withdrawal Agreement, Protocol and Political Declaration – Potential implications for Value Added Tax and Excise in Northern Ireland', Northern Ireland Assembly - Research and Information Service Briefing Paper, No. 27/20, 21 May

Stennett, A. with Regan, E. (2020) 'Withdrawal Agreement, Protocol and Political Declaration – Potential implications for Single Electricity Market in Northern Ireland', Northern Ireland Assembly - Research and Information Service Briefing Paper, No. 30/20, 21 May

Peretz, G and Artley, A. (2020) 'State aid under the Northern Ireland Protocol', Tax Journal, 11 May

Pidgeon, C. (2020) 'Withdrawal Agreement, Protocol and Political Declaration – Potential implications for State Aid in Northern Ireland', Northern Ireland Assembly - Research and Information Service Briefing Paper, No. 29/20, 21 May

Ad Hoc Group for North-South and East-West Cooperation (2020) The necessary conditions for North-South Cooperation, August

European Commission (2019), Negotiations on Ireland/Northern Ireland, Mapping of North-South cooperation, 21 June

UK Government (2017) North-South Cooperation Scoping Exercise, n.d.

UK Government (2018) Technical explanatory note: North-South cooperation mapping exercise, 7 December

On North-South cooperation, see also the work of the Centre for Cross-Border Studies and the Ad Hoc Group for North-South and East-West Cooperation 

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

Dellow-Perry, E. (2021) 'Dispute resolution under the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol', 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) 'Decision-Making and Dispute Settlement for the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union’, Brexit Institute Working Paper Series, No 4, May

See also 'Article 16: Safeguards'

Hayward, K. and Phinnemore, D. (2020) 'An EU presence in Northern Ireland after Brexit', UK in a Changing Europe, 9 April

Hayward, K. et al (2020) Anticipating and meeting new multilevel governance challenges in Northern Ireland after Brexit, Queen's University Belfast/UK in a Changing Europe, May

Hayward, K. et al (2020) Anticipating and meeting new multilevel governance challenges in Northern Ireland after Brexit, Queen's University Belfast/UK in a Changing Europe, May

RAISE - Finance and Economics (2020) 'Withdrawal Agreement, Protocol and Political Declaration – Overview of Governance Arrangements', Northern Ireland Assembly - Research and Information Service Briefing Paper, No. 29/20, 21 May

Joint Committee

Curtis, J. and Fella, S. (2020) 'The UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee: functions and tasks', House of Commons Library Briefing Paper, No. 8996, 2 September

Speclialised Committee

Phinnemore, D. (2020) 'The Specialised Committee on the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland', UK in a Changing Europe, 28 April

Joint Consultative Working Group

Hayward, K. and Phinnemore, D. (2020) 'The UK-EU Joint Consultative Working Group: What it is and what it could be', QPOL, 30 April

Curtis, J. (2021) 'Northern Ireland Protocol: Article 16 and EU vaccine export controls', House of Commons Library Insight, 2 February

Green, D.A. (2021) 'An introduction to Article 16 of the Northern Irish Protocol', The Law and Policy Blog, 16 February

Hayward, K. and Phinnemore, D. (2021) 'Article 16 of the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol offers no ‘quick fix', LSE Brexit Blog, 11 January 

Keohane, D. (2021) The unexpected cross-over of vaccines, article 16, and the Northern Ireland Protocol, DCU Brexit Institute, 3 February

Melo Araujo, B. (2021) Article 16 of the Ireland-Northern Ireland Protocol: A Legal Analysis', April/June

Rice, C. (2021) 'Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol', UK in a Changing Europe, 8 February 

Phinnemore, D. (2020) 'Democratic Consent and the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland', QPol, 6 January

Sargeant, J. (2021) Northern Ireland protocol: consent mechanism, Institute for Government, 1 March

Tobin, J. (2020) Brexit: Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland Democratic Consent Regulations, House of Lords Library, 27 November

UK Government (2019) Declaration by Her Majesty’s Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland concerning the operation of the ‘Democratic consent in Northern Ireland’ provision of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland, 19 October

UK Legislation

The Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland (Democratic Consent Process) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020, SI 2020/1500, 9 December 2020

The Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland (Democratic Consent Process) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 - Explanatory Memorandum, November 2020