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

Liefländer, T. et al (eds) (2021) The UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement (Oxford: Oxford University Press)

Academic Analyses

Barnard, C. 'The Status of the Withdrawal Agreement in UK Law'  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) The UK's Withdrawal from the EU, 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 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

Peers, S. (2020) 'The End - or a New Beginning? The EU/UK Withdrawal Agreement', Yearbook of European Law, 39, 122–98

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 

Liefländer, T. et al (eds) (2021) The UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 407-86

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

Spisak, A.  (2022) Fixing the Northern Ireland Protocol: A Way Forward, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, June

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

von Ondarza, N. (2021) 'A Shared Responsibility for Northern Ireland - Why the EU and the UK Should Work Together to Find Flexible Solutions after Brexit', Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, September

Academic Analyses

Anthony, G. 'The Protocol in Northern Ireland Law' 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) The Law & Politics of Brexit – Volume IV: The Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland, Oxford: Oxford University Press (Working Paper versions of chapters available here)

Fennelly, D. 'The Protocol in Irish Law' 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). ‘Designing a Special Arrangement for Northern Ireland: the Irish Protocol in Context’, Brexit Institute Working Paper Series, No 6, May

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

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

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

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, 2018-05

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

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

McCrudden, C. 'Human Rights and Equality' 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) 'Non-Discrimination: Article 2 in Context', Brexit Institute Working Paper, No. 15

Queen's University Belfast 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

Maher, I. (2021) 'The Common Travel Area: The Limits of Codification', Brexit Institute Working Paper, No. 17, November

Maher, I. 'The Common Travel Area' 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) 'With or Without EU? The Common Travel Area After Brexit', German Law Journal, 21

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

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

Jerzewska, A. (2022) 'The Irish Sea Customs Border' 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) '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

Whitten, L. C. and Robb, N. (2022) 'The Single Electricity Market in Ireland and Northern Ireland' UK in a Changing Europe, 29 Nov 2022. 

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

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

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

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

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

Whitten, L. C. (2022) 'North-South Cooperation: A Complex and Contingent Future' The Journal for Cross Border Studies in Ireland Vol. 17 pp. 18-34. 

On North-South cooperation, see also the work of the Centre for Cross-Border Studies

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

Larik, J. (2021) 'Governance and Dispute Settlement in the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol', Brexit Institute Working Paper Series, No. 16, November

Wouters, J. 'Dispute Settlement' 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'

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

Stormont Brakes

Riekeles, G.E. (2023) 'The Stormont Brake - Brexit over or future headache?', European Policy Centre, 27 April

Sargeant, J. and Savur, S. (2023) 'Stormont Brake: The Windsor Framework', Institute for Government, 10 March

Torrance, D. (2023) 'Northern Ireland – The Stormont Brake', House of Commons Library Briefing Paper, No. 9757, 30 March

Stakeholder Engagement

Hayward, K. and Komorova, M. (2022) UK-EU Structured Engagement with Stakeholders on the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland - A Proposal, UK in a Changing Europe/Queen’s University Belfast, October

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

Larik, J. (2021) 'Governance and Dispute Settlement in the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol', Brexit Institute Working Paper Series, No. 16, November

Phinnemore, D. 'The United Kingdom: Turning its Back on Influencing the EU?', Journal of Common Market Studies, 2022 (early view)

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

Curtis, J. (2021) 'Northern Ireland Protocol: Article 16', House of Commons Library Research Briefing, No. 9330, 26 November

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 

Howse, R. (2021) '“This is not an exit”: The Article 16 Safeguards in the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol', DCU Brexit Institute Working Paper Series, No. 14, 10 November 

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 contextual legal analysis' April/June

Melo Araujo, B. and Brittain, S. 'Safeguard Provisions' 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) 'Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol', UK in a Changing Europe, 8 February 

Dellow-Perry, E. (2021) 'Consent, cross-community support and the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol', Research Matters, 28 July

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

Curtis, J. et al. (2023) 'Northern Ireland Protocol: The Windsor Framework', House of Commons Library Research Briefing, CBP9736, 21 March

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

Gravey, V. and Whitten, L. C. (2023) 'New Governance for Dynamic Alignment under the Windsor Framework' Brexit & Environment, 8 March

Horne, A. (2023) 'The Windsor Framework: a new hope or great betryal', UK in a Changing Europe, 2 March

McCormick, A. (2023) 'The Windsor Framework: a quick evaluation', UK in a Changing Europe, 28 February 

Rice, C. (2003) 'The Windsor Framework: Paving the way towards or away from the abyss?', UK in a Changing Europe, 16 March

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

Szczepański, M. (2023), 'The Windsor Framework A new way forward for the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland', European Parliamentary Research Service, April 

For Stormont Brake, see Article 12-13.

Hayward, K. A Brief NI Guide to Brexit, the Protocol and the Windsor Framework, Queen's University Belfast, August 2023

Murray, C. and Robb, N. (2023) 'From the Protocol to the Windsor Framework', Northern Ireland Legal Quarterly, 74 (AD1), pp. 1-21

Melo-Araujo, B. (2024) 'Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement: Silos and Symbiosis' Common Market Law Review 61(3) pp.727-766