David Phinnemore

@dphinnemore.bsky.social

6.1K followers 260 following 590 posts

Professor of European Politics, Queen's University Belfast. EU politics, treaty reform, enlargement, Brexit/Protocol/Windsor Framework

Videos

Political science 88%

Economics 4%

Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by Steve Peers

David Phinnemore @dphinnemore.bsky.social · 18h

Specialised Committee on the Implementation of the Windsor Framework next meets on 3 December 2025

Agenda as for October meeting, so still exchanging views on whether (and, if so, to what extent) EU's AI Act and Cyber Resilience Act should apply in Northern Ireland

www.gov.uk/government/p...

Reposted by Tobias Lock

David Phinnemore @dphinnemore.bsky.social · 1d

On the Windsor Framework and the NI Assembly's 2024 Democratic Consent vote...

With @politicalquarterly.bsky.social

Open access via:
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

David Phinnemore @dphinnemore.bsky.social · 1d

'The government has said the financial package.... will provide a "single point of contact" to solve disputes and guide businesses on trading in NI.'

Follows reports and recommendations on Windsor Framework from Lord Murphy and from Independent Monitoring Panel.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Budget 2025: NI businesses to get £16m in post-Brexit trade support

The chancellor will announce the package when she reveals the details of the Budget on Wednesday.

www.bbc.co.uk

David Phinnemore @dphinnemore.bsky.social · 4d

The EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly held its 6th meeting this week.

The recommendation agreed 👇

www.parliament.uk/globalassets...

David Phinnemore @dphinnemore.bsky.social · 5d

‘Under current rules, EU countries can spend up to 35 per cent of the rearmament fund with UK defence companies. If the UK joins Safe, this could rise as high as 50 per cent, but Brussels has said the UK’s contribution needs to reflect the benefits to British industry.’

www.ft.com/content/ba88...

Brussels slashes €6.7bn price tag for UK to join EU defence fund

European Commission cuts cost by two-thirds to €2bn but figure is still far above the €75mn Britain has offered

www.ft.com

David Phinnemore @dphinnemore.bsky.social · 6d

“Major differences remain between the two sides over the level of financial contributions the U.K. would need to make and the minimum mandatory share of components produced inside the EU, with senior British figures signaling they would not seek entry at any price.”
www.politico.eu/article/uk-a...

UK and EU hit impasse in defense deal talks

The EU wants London to pay between €4.5 billion and €6.5 billion to take part in SAFE, while the U.K. has offered €200 million to €300 million.

www.politico.eu

David Phinnemore @dphinnemore.bsky.social · 8d

www.gov.uk/government/p...

David Phinnemore @dphinnemore.bsky.social · 8d

Nothing like a communiqué being issued promptly!

Surely worth the wait…

Reposted by David Phinnemore

Jill Rutter @jillongovt.bsky.social · 8d

and you can start reliving that trauma tomorrow by joining @instituteforgovernment.org.uk and @ukandeu.bsky.social to discuss tomorrow evening - sign up here. In person or online www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/six-mo...

David Phinnemore @dphinnemore.bsky.social · 8d

‘Negotiations are finally underway for Keir Starmer's much-hyped Brexit reset. Expect to relive some trauma’
www.politico.eu/article/brex...

Brexit reset gives Brussels and London a chance to squabble about cash … again

Rows over cash payments are already holding up negotiations, as deadlines loom.

www.politico.eu

Reposted by Steve Peers

David Phinnemore @dphinnemore.bsky.social · 8d

EU(27) today welcomed agreement on mandates for negotiations on SPS and ETS agreements with the UK

With a reminder: ‘as a matter of principle… relations can only be strengthened based on a full, faithful and timely implementation of existing agreements’
www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/...

David Phinnemore @dphinnemore.bsky.social · 12d

Late addition to today's ECOFIN Council.

It could have been left to General Affairs Council next week which is 'taking stock' of the state of play in EU-UK relations

www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/pre...

David Phinnemore @dphinnemore.bsky.social · 13d

EU regional/structural policies 👇

David Phinnemore @dphinnemore.bsky.social · 13d

“member states… also approved mandates for talks on an agri-food deal to ease cross-Channel trade frictions, and to link the EU and U.K. emissions trading systems.”

On whether the UK should contribute financially to…
www.politico.eu/article/uk-s...

UK scores Brexit win as EU fast-tracks electricity trading talks

The breakthrough comes after days of wrangling in Brussels over the extent to which London might be expected to pay for access to the EU’s single market.

www.politico.eu

David Phinnemore @dphinnemore.bsky.social · 14d

“So far, Starmer's reset has had plenty of warm words. Converting those into legal texts was always going to be the hard part.”
www.politico.eu/article/uk-p...

Brussels deadlocked over how to handle Brexit Britain

Talks will continue into Wednesday as member states remain divided over the question of U.K. payments into EU budget funds.

www.politico.eu

David Phinnemore @dphinnemore.bsky.social · 15d

“Whether this government, or its successors, will be better able to communicate the value of… financial flows [to the EU] remains to be seen, but as long as it lacks a strong overall narrative for its EU policy this seems less than likely” - @simonusherwood.bsky.social

ukandeu.ac.uk/the-sleeping...

The sleeping dog of UK-EU finances - UK in a changing Europe

Simon Usherwood explains financial flows between the UK and the EU since the UK's withdrawal and how they may be affected by the UK-EU reset.

ukandeu.ac.uk

Reposted by Simon Usherwood, Jill Rutter

David Phinnemore @dphinnemore.bsky.social · 15d

EU(27) moving towards adoption of mandates for negotiations on SPS and ETS agreements with the UK.

data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document...

David Phinnemore @dphinnemore.bsky.social · 15d

“The overall result for the six month period is that 96% of the value of goods moved under freight did so within the Internal Market system. The UK Government’s Internal Market Guarantee of 80% has therefore been met for this period.’

Caveats and recommendations

www.gov.uk/government/p...

David Phinnemore @dphinnemore.bsky.social · 16d

“say the UK should make such payments just as countries with closer EU economic ties such as Norway and Switzerland do…

But a handful led by Germany and the Netherlands have argued against…

“Member state ambassadors will meet on Tuesday to try to thrash out a solution.”

Reposted by Steve Peers

David Phinnemore @dphinnemore.bsky.social · 16d

“Member states on Friday postponed signing off their mandate for [an SPS] deal and for the terms of the UK’s re entry to the single energy market...

“The delay was caused by divisions over whether the UK should pay into the EU’s regional funds…

“A majority…

www.ft.com/content/03ef...

Von der Leyen dodged Starmer request for meeting on EU money demands

European Commission president had ‘scheduling’ issues at COP30 summit in Brazil and did not meet the UK premier

www.ft.com

David Phinnemore @dphinnemore.bsky.social · 18d

Could do with sight of the proposed 'joint statements'

David Phinnemore @dphinnemore.bsky.social · 18d

Do we know that the EU(27) are demanding contributions to regional funds?

Commission's proposal for negotiating mandate made no mention of it

Reposted by Steve Peers

David Phinnemore @dphinnemore.bsky.social · 19d

On the agenda of Coreper II today

data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document...

Reposted by Ben Tonra

David Phinnemore @dphinnemore.bsky.social · 19d

From the EU-UK ‘Common Understanding’ in May:

“32. The SPS Agreement should provide for an appropriate financial contribution from the United Kingdom to support the relevant costs associated with the European Union’s work in this policy area.”

EU demands UK pay into budget as part of relationship ‘reset’

Growing tension between London and Brussels just six months after summit set out to build stronger ties

on.ft.com

David Phinnemore @dphinnemore.bsky.social · Oct 24

The poll was conducted by LucidTalk on 3-6 October 2025 and the findings draw on a sample of 1201 respondents weighted to be representative of the adult population of Northern Ireland. Results are accurate to a margin of error of +/-2.3% at 95% confidence.

Full report: www.qub.ac.uk/sites/post-b...

David Phinnemore @dphinnemore.bsky.social · Oct 24

On the recommendations made by Lord Murphy following his Independent Review of the Windsor Framework, most popular are:

- UK Government considering all possibilities to reduce frictions on GB-NI movement of goods

- UK Government and NI Executive emphasising benefits of dual market access

David Phinnemore @dphinnemore.bsky.social · Oct 24

The survey is the first to be conducted since the UK-EU Summit in May.

NI voters are most supportive of UK-EU plans for:

- closer cooperation on health security (e.g. in relation to pandemics)

- an SPS agreement likely to reduce the impact of the Irish Sea border.

David Phinnemore @dphinnemore.bsky.social · Oct 24

When placed alongside nine other issues, only 15% of respondents rank the Windsor Framework in their top three issues of concern.

For most respondents, priority concerns are around health and social care provision, and the economy and cost of living...

David Phinnemore @dphinnemore.bsky.social · Oct 24

Few actors are more trusted than distrusted on managing the interests of Northern Ireland with respect to the Windsor Framework.

Only business representatives are trusted by the majority of voters...

David Phinnemore @dphinnemore.bsky.social · Oct 24

Views continue to be divided on the impact of the Windsor Framework.

46% currently view its impact on the economy as positive, so down on February 2024 (56%); 36% view the impact as negative...

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