Queen's University Belfast

EU Legislative Interests

The University is involved in two types of influencing activities: 1. As a corporate entity, seeking to influence EU policy regarding research and education 2. As a civic body, seeking to influence EU institutions' understanding of and approach to the unique post-Brexit circumstances on the island of Ireland which the EU has sought to address primarily through the Windsor Framework (formerly the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland). The Windsor Framework involves dynamic regulatory alignment with the EU acquis with regard the free movement of goods (including the EU’s sanitary and phytosanitary acquis), state aid, VAT and Excise, as well as the acquis governing wholesale electricity markets and aspects of the acquis on individual rights. The Windsor Framework also entails monitoring of north-south cooperation on the island of Ireland. The influence activities are intended to ensure that where the activities of these institutions have a direct or indirect impact on Northern Ireland, the relevant officials are informed, via engaged academics in collaboration with wider civic and business representation from the region. Such activities centre on relaying to officials and policymakers: (i) applicable evidence from Northern Ireland and (ii) the views and experiences of key stakeholders in the region, including with respect to the implementation of the Windsor Framework.

Communication Activities

Research findings and publications; meetings.

Interests Represented

Does not represent commercial interests

Member Of

Universities UK https://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/ Russell Group https://russellgroup.ac.uk/ As a university in Northern Ireland we have collaborative partnerships with many other universities (in the UK and Ireland and globally) and research organisations, working collaboratively on diverse research projects.