CCBS evidence featured in House of Lords Report

Evidence given by the Centre for Cross Border Studies was included in the final report by a House of Lords Sub-Committee. The House of Lords European Affairs Sub-committee on the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland have conducted an inquiry into the Windsor Framework which was agreed between the UK Government and the European Union in February.  

The Sub-Committee noted our position that ‘the Windsor Framework marked a significant and positive change in UK-EU relations, and a welcome abandonment of unilateral policies, which the UK and the EU now needed to build on’. The Sub-Committee also quoted our views on the Stormont Brake, which could be an ongoing source of uncertainty and tension if there is not significant and timely engagement by politicians and officials with EU policy and legislation. This is something that will create an extra burden on the institutions in Northern Ireland.  

The Sub-Committee also noted our belief that the Windsor Framework fulfils a significant role in abiding by the UK and EU’s joint commitment to protect the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, something that would be undermined by unilateral actions from either party.  The Centre once again argued that structures for engaging with key stakeholders must allow for meaningful consultation and must be committed to by both the UK and the EU, something that was commented on by the Sub-Committee. 

The Sub-Committee’s full report describes the Windsor Framework as ‘a distinct improvement on the original protocol. But it does not solve all the problems which the Protocol raises’. You can read the report in full here. 

The Centre will continue to engage with policymakers on issues crucial to maintaining the necessary conditions for North-South and East-West cooperation.  

The Centre’s full submission to the inquiry can be found here. 

The Centre’s other research and briefings on the Windsor Framework are available here.