The 1984 Haagerup Report on the Situation in Northern Ireland

Abstract

This chapter charts the first attempt by the EU/Northern Ireland policy network to overcome the UK government’s centralism. The experience of the Haagerup Report was a fundamental step, which contributed to shaping, in theory, all the ensuing ‘bottom-up’ peacebuilding and cross-border practices of the European Union (EU) in Northern Ireland. This chapter argues that the presence of a public policy network, active within the European institutions, pressured the community to explore solutions to ameliorate the conflict in the region. The network’s objective was to produce political change and compromise, aimed at addressing the underlying causes of violence. Such a strategy is precisely outlined in the first EU report on the political situation in Northern Ireland. Through a detailed analysis of the report and the examination of unpublished archival material, this chapter will expound on the Haagerup Report experience as a stepping-stone that provided the EU with the necessary knowledge it needed to implement peacebuilding plans and programmes in Northern Ireland. Moreover, it was also a necessary experience that highlighted the need for the EU to find a middle ground between its goals of coordinated peacebuilding bottom-up initiatives in the region, the self-regulating character of networks, and national sovereignty.