Windsor Framework Makes Headway in Northern Ireland/Ireland Brexit Dispute [1]
On February 27, 2023, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and European Commission President Ursula von Der Leyen announced in a statement [3] from Windsor Castle that they had come to an agreement for a new Windsor Framework which seeks to end the long-running conflict between the UK and EU following the UK’s exit from the EU over trade across the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, an EU member. According to Sunak, the agreement “safeguards sovereignty for the people of Ireland….The only EU law that applies in Northern Ireland under the framework is the minimum necessary to avoid a hard border with Ireland and allow Northern Irish businesses to continue accessing the EU market.” Von Der Leyen added in a series of tweets [4] following the statement that “the Windsor Framework respects and protects our respective markets and legitimate interests. Most importantly, it protects the very hard-earned gains of the Good Friday (Belfast) Agreement for the people of Northern Ireland, and across the island of Ireland.”