Ireland, Britain, Northern Ireland and the European dimension

This paper analyses the European dimension of British-Irish relations and the EU’s role in altering the environment within which relations between these islands are played out. The paper examines relations between the two states in the context of EU membership and proceeds to an analysis of the evolution of an EU role under four headings: the EU as an arena, EU policies and reports, the EU as a model and the EU in Northern Ireland. The paper then assesses the EU dimension of the Good Friday Agreement in all three strands and finishes with a brief analysis of the longer-term contribution of the EU.

An earlier version of this paper was presented to a roundtable meeting entitled “Redefining relationships: North-South and East-West links in Ireland and Britain in the new millennium”, University College Dublin, 8 January 1999.