European Policy and Co-ordination

Details of the work of ONIEB can be found via the following link: https://brusselsni.com/

European Policy

The European Policy and Coordination Unit (EPCU) provides a central policy and co-ordination role in relation to the European Union (EU). The European Union passes laws and takes decisions on many matters that are important to Northern Ireland and its citizens. In a Union of Member States, United Kingdom relations with the European Union are the responsibility of the Westminster Government, but implementation of EU policies in Northern Ireland normally falls to the regional administration.

EPCU helps Northern Ireland fulfil its EU responsibilities, this involves:

• Co-ordinating the administration’s strategic approach to ongoing EU business through the EU Exit transition and beyond.
• Promoting meaningful engagement on the UK Government’s EU priorities to benefit NI citizens, communities and businesses.
• Monitoring and facilitating the timely transposition of European directives.
• Maintaining effective liaison arrangements with the Department for Exiting the European Union, Cabinet Office, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Scottish Government, the Welsh Assembly Government, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and across NICS departments on European matters.
• Supporting the delivery of the Executive’s Programme for Government.

European Union Co-ordination

The European Policy and Co-ordination Unit (EPCU), is the official EU Co-ordinator for Northern Ireland.  We disseminate over 4,500 documents per annum relating to EU matters across the NICS.  European correspondence is received from various Whitehall departments, mainly the Department for Exiting the European Union (DExEU) and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and is distributed to the relevant NI department for appropriate action.

EPCU is responsible for monitoring the transposition of European Directives which includes co-ordinating Northern Ireland’s input to the Internal Market Scoreboard to gauge the United Kingdom’s performance in transposing directives correctly and on time. 

Contact us

EPCU can be contacted by post, phone or email, using the details below: