This unique book breaks new ground in engaging the study of Northern Ireland politics directly with broader debates about European integration and European governance. It offers the most comprehensive coverage to date of the institutional development of Northern Ireland's EU policy capacity following the UK government’s devolution programme and Northern Ireland’s development as an autonomous policy actor in Europe. 

Using evidence from Northern Ireland’s relationship with the European Union, the author does not treat Northern Ireland as a sui generis case-study, but as a region facing the same challenges as many other parts of Europe. It is a fresh and novel means of studying both Northern Ireland and the EU and produces new and compelling conclusions.

The text argues that in Northern Ireland, a series of national and regional constraints, complexities and divisions limit the application of the multi-level governance (MLG) model. The distinction between state and civil society in Northern Ireland has become less, rather than more blurred, and has shifted in the direction of the former. The author questions the synergy between devolution and the EU and queries the existence of new forms of ‘governance’. This is a contribution of both immense substance and considerable importance. 

The book will appeal to scholars form a diverse range of social science disciplines. It is essential reading for students and scholars of contemporary Northern Ireland politics, EU governance, European regions and conflict studies.