Although the United Kingdom left the European Union over two years ago, there are still considerable disagreements concerning the implementation of the Northern Ireland protocol. This agreement keeps Northern Ireland in the EU’s single market for goods to protect the highly integrated all-island economy and safeguard the Good Friday Agreement, or GFA, which brought peace to the island of Ireland.
From an economic point of view, Northern Ireland is performing better than any other region in the U.K., with the protocol protecting it from the negative effects of Brexit. In fact, it is starting to flourish under its opportunities. For its part, the European Commission came forward with unprecedented levels of flexibility to its rules to try to solve some of the remaining issues.
The unique historical, legal and social circumstances on the island of Ireland, with part of the island under the legal jurisdiction of the U.K., means that Brexit imposes fundamental impacts on the country.
