Dr Lee McGowan (QUB) – Does Europe matter? The implications of a Brexit for Northern Ireland
Ahead of a now imminent referendum on the United Kingdom’s (UK) membership of the European Union (EU) this presentation addresses the specific issue of how much the EU dimension matters to Northern Ireland and considers the implications of a Brexit for this region of the UK. It is divided into two main parts. The first provides an overview considering the regional context and how the possibility of a Brexit raises particular issues for Northern Ireland, not least given it is the only part of the UK that shares a land border with an EU member state. The second, and main, section explores a series of salient issues for Northern Ireland, including the potential impact of Brexit on business, trade and investment, the financing of agricultural and fisheries, university research funding and student mobility exchanges.