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The Future of Wales in Europe

Document Cited in Related
Vincent
Pages423-428
DOI10.3366/elr.2019.0580
Author
Date01 September 2019
Published date01 September 2019
INTRODUCTION

Wales’ post-Brexit European strategy is currently under construction, as part of a wider international relations strategy, spearheaded by a new Minister for International Relations and the Welsh Language, Eluned Morgan.1 In this contribution, we explore Wales’ existing three-pronged approach to engagement in Europe and highlight the ways in which Wales needs to adapt and tailor its approach for a post-Brexit context. We argue that a successful post-Brexit strategy should address two key issues. First, it must deliberately ensure a clear coherence between domestic and external agendas. Secondly, it must actively engage with actors beyond government, providing financial and organisational support for this engagement. Attentive consideration of these issues is imperative in the shadow of both severe capacity constraints and the reconfigured legal and political relationship between the UK, Wales and the EU post-Brexit.

 THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS ACTIVITY OF SUB-STATES: WALES IN EUROPE

The European Union (“EU”) serves as a valuable political arena for sub-state actors, affording them possibilities of policy influence, capacity building, profile raising and partnership formation, outwith the structure of the Member State of which they are part. Whilst far from a “Europe of the Regions”, the raft of regional offices in Brussels is one indication of the hospitability of the wider European political system to the representation of sub-state interests. The UK is no exception, with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland holding long-established outposts in Brussels, as the physical hub or “front door” for their European activity. This international relations activity of sub-states (known as paradiplomacy)2 is predominantly expressed through non-legal tools and mechanisms. Indeed, as is the dominant convention within devolved or federal state structures,3 Wales does not hold legal powers over any outward-facing policy area, including the external dimension of devolved policy areas, and so promotes its policies and priorities in Europe through less formal methods.

Whatever the nature of the UK's withdrawal from the EU, Europe will remain a crucial site for Wales, as part of its wider international activity.4 Wales’ post-Brexit position in Europe will be determined to a large extent by the future relationship established between the UK and the EU. Unsurprisingly, this is the case at present, with the Welsh relationship shaped by the twin phenomena of the UK's EU membership and devolution.5 At the time of writing, consensus around this future UK-EU relationship remains elusive; however, the Welsh Government has been consistent in advocating close European ties,6 including continued membership of the Customs Union, participation in the Single Market, and participation in key EU programmes, particularly...

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