United Kingdom and European Union Strike New Deal regarding Ireland

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak, right, meets European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, to negotiate a deal regarding European Union trade and migratory rights to Northern Ireland in Fairmont Windsor Park, Windsor, England, on Feb. 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

The European Union and United Kingdom reached a historic deal on Monday regarding post-Brexit legal issues, primarily concerning the contentious border between Ireland, an EU member state, and North Ireland, a region of the United Kingdom. The new agreement addresses trade relations, border checks, and migratory policy, with the aim of providing some border permeability while maintaining North Ireland’s sovereignty and separation from the Republic of Ireland.

Ireland, a diverse region of multiple different religions and nationalities, has a history of bloody conflict between its communities, and tensions have been on the rise again recently. The deal shows an improvement in UK-EU relations, which were significantly soured from Brexit and the proceeding legal quarrels. The negotiations took place in Windsor, England, right outside of London. Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak, and European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, hosted a press conference in the same place, revealing some of the treaty’s context and details, including its name: “The Windsor Framework.”

“The Framework” will deliver “smooth flowing trade” within the UK and “protect Northern Ireland’s place,” Prime Minister Sunak said. It also “safeguards” the sovereignty of Northern Ireland while conceding some border permeability.. 

President Von der Leyen shared Sunak’s positivity, hoping that the UK and EU can “make the most of their partnership” and “listen to each other's concerns very carefully.”

The Windsor Framework replaces the previous Northern Ireland Protocol, which came under heavy criticism from all sides of the Irish community. Both sides stressed that the new framework was an improvement, fixing some of the errors of the previous arrangement. 

Referencing the easing of regulations on food products, the Prime Minister said, “If food is available on supermarket shelves in Great Britain, it will be available in Northern Ireland.” At the same time, the UK will regain the ability to set VAT rates, a decision previously delegated to the EU.

Freight trucks are unloaded at Larne Port, North Ireland, and their proper paperwork is checked by port officials. (AP Newsroom/Peter Morrison)

The Windsor Framework also includes a revolutionary new legal mechanism called the “Stormont Break.” This “emergency break” allows the North Irish government to freeze new EU laws from being implemented in North Ireland if need be. It is designed to ensure that no particularly egregious laws are passed which take away significant parts of North Ireland’s sovereignty. 

Overall, the treaty is focused on deregulating the Irish border in exchange for giving some EU policy-making power back to the UK national government. 

The deal is considered a big win for Prime Minister Sunak’s image, with the approval of most leading Conservative Brexiteers. While some Irish Unionists feel betrayed, the deal shows that the EU and UK can still lead important and successful negotiations in good faith, while also exhibiting Sunak’s ability to unify the radicals and moderates of the Conservative Party.