David Phinnemore
@dphinnemore
Professor of European Politics, Queen's University Belfast. EU politics, treaty reform, enlargement, Brexit/Protocol/Windsor Framework
"North Macedonia is a star pupil for Brussels on paper — fully aligned with the EU’s foreign policy and an eager candidate for membership since 2005. Yet two decades on, Skopje is still waiting for its accession talks to properly begin... patience is wearing thin" www.politico.eu/newsletter/b...
For background see this @niassembly.bsky.social paper by @anuragdeb.bsky.social
On the Windsor Framework... and for the next EU-UK Joint Committee... clarification that the end of EU customs duty relief for low value items does not entail handling charges for consumer parcels moving from GB into Northern Ireland. eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-conten...
Common Understanding (May 2025) re SPS agreement refers to UK 'contribut[ing] appropriately for a country that is not a member... to... decision-shaping in the fields covered by the obligation to dynamically align". Also: UK 'should have appropriate access to relevant [EU] agencies'.
fulfil its international treaty obligations sunk to new lows. And rebuilding trust takes time. Of note is that four infringement proceedings launched by the European Commission in response are yet to be closed. They remain 'active'. ec.europa.eu/implementing...
Four years ago today the UK Government published the NI Protocol Bill. With it post-Brexit UK-EU relations entered possibly their most strained period. Much has changed with the Windsor Framework (2023), a first EU-UK Summit (2025) etc. But trust in the UK to... www.gov.uk/government/n...
Significant milestone Monday towards the accession of Moldova and Ukraine to the EU. Fundamentals cluster of negotiation chapters to be opened. www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/pre...
And today’s UK government announcement www.gov.uk/government/p...
57% support and 35% oppose the UK rejoining the EU, with strong gender and Remain/Leave divides
58% oppose and 36% support leaving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) Opposition is higher than for the overall proportion of GB voters (see @yougov.co.uk poll from October 2025 (yougov.com/en-gb/articl...)
Trust in political leadership to manage NI's interests under the Windsor Framework remains limited and uneven. The UK Government is trusted by 12%. Large majorities distrust either a Conservative-led (76%) or Reform-led UK government (70%) to protect NI's interests in EU-UK relations.
Perceptions of the Windsor Framework’s economic impact are more positive than negative: 45% believe it has had a positive effect on the economy, while 37% believe its impact has been negative.
46% regard the Windsor Framework as “on balance a good thing for Northern Ireland”, the lowest level since June 2021. 38% disagree.
40% agree the 2016 referendum was based on a fair democratic process, 48% disagree.
- 72% of voters, including a majority of Leave voters, agree that Brexit has been more of a failure than a success in Northern Ireland
Out today: latest report by @katyhayward.bsky.social and me on the views of voters in Northern Ireland on Brexit, the Windsor Framework and UK-EU Relations. Some key findings 👇 Full report available via @qubelfastofficial.bsky.social at: www.qub.ac.uk/sites/post-b...
As we move closer to an second EU-UK summit (in July?) ... 'officials said they were surprised to see the embattled British leader use a speech Monday to say he will put his country “at the heart of Europe” — when his negotiating position hasn’t changed' www.politico.eu/newsletter/b...
Useful explainer on UK-EU Agreement on Gibraltar from @commonslibrary.bsky.social Agreement expected to be provisionally applied from 15 July 2026 researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CB...
EU-UK Specialised Committee on the Implementation of the Windsor Framework met yesterday. Joint Statement: commission.europa.eu/document/dow...
Specialised Committee on the Implementation of the Windsor Framework meets tomorrow, 7 May 2026, for first meeting this year. Among agenda items, views on extent to which EU Cyber Resilience and AI Acts should be added to Windsor Framework Dynamic alignment commission.europa.eu/document/dow...
Good to see minutes of EU-UK TCA Partnership Council meetings published... www.gov.uk/government/p...
“a bilateral with… von der Leyen... will be a good opportunity for them to take stock ahead of the EU-U.K. summit... The pair are expected to impress on their negotiators Maroš Šefčovič and Nick Thomas-Symonds (who traveled to Armenia with the PM) to get cracking” www.politico.eu/newsletter/l...
As today, a question to be answered was "what form of particularly close association could be developed with certain European countries that might believe they cannot become members of the customs union" aei.pitt.edu/995/1/Spaak_...
70 years ago today, 21 April 1956, 'the Six' adopted the Spaak Report that led to the establishment of the EEC. With the UK having abandoned observer status at the preceding talks, the report referenced 'certain European countries that might believe they cannot become members of the customs union'
With the UK contemplating dynamic regulatory alignment with the EU worth hearing from other non-member states already involved or signing up: committees.parliament.uk/event/27022/...
EU-UK Agreement on Gibraltar expected to enter into provisional application on 15 July 2026. www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/pre...
Latest from @lordsniscom.parliament.uk for UK government on the Windsor Framework Includes need for 'accessible and interactive UK-developed database of the EU law that applies to NI on a dynamic basic' Such could be useful for a UK-EU SPS agreement committees.parliament.uk/publications...