THE EUROPEAN UNION AND IRELAND’S LINKS WITH EUROPE Ireland, Brexit and the EU


Ireland is considered to be the EU member most affected by Britain’s decision to withdraw from the EU.


(i) This is partly because the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland would now become an external border for the EU.


‘There are about 275 land border crossings between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, compared to 137 crossings on the entirety of the EU’s eastern border from Finland to Greece.’ (European Parliament) This will make it virtually impossible to control trade and people across the border.


(ii) A second reason why Ireland will be affected by Brexit concerns the Good Friday Agreement and peace in Northern Ireland. There is a strong belief that if a hard border (with border controls) was established between Northern Ireland (the north) and the Republic of Ireland (the south), this would lead to an outbreak of violence and a collapse of the peace process in Northern Ireland. ● These concerns have led the EU to insist that


100


10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90


0 A good thing A bad thing Neither a


good thing nor a bad thing


(Source: European Parliament) Irish public opinion and the EU, 2017


How do the views of people in the Republic of Ireland compare with the EU in general? How would you explain the difference?


Ireland’s ‘unique circumstances’, including the issue of peace in Northern Ireland, had to be addressed in the Brexit negotiations.


● This resulted in the Northern Ireland Protocol which came into force on 1 January 2021.


● Under the protocol it was agreed that Northern Ireland would continue to follow EU rules on product standards (part of the single market) to prevent checks along the border. Checks would instead take place on goods entering Northern Ireland from England, Scotland or Wales.


● Northern unionists criticised this arrangement as creating a border on the Irish Sea between Britain and Northern Ireland.


Assessing Your Learning


1. When did Ireland join the EEC (EU)? 2. Explain one reason why Irish people voted to join the EEC (EU). 3. How did Ireland benefit from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)?


4. Give one reason why Ireland was considered to be the EU member most affected by Brexit.


5. What is the Northern Ireland Protocol? 447 Don’t know


27A


EU28 Ireland


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