Designing a Special Arrangement for Northern Ireland: the Irish Protocol in Context

The Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland was a central focus for contested conversations in the Brexit negotiations. Many of the tensions at the heart of the Brexit project are evident in its consequences for the island of Ireland. The aim is to examine the compromise that emerged. The suggestion is that Northern Ireland was always going to require a form of special status for the purpose of preservation of an already distinctive set of relationships. The principal intention here is to reflect on the design of a special arrangement that reflects this fact. The key questions for the future will include the interpretation, application, implementation and enforcement of what has been agreed.