“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.”

Could do with sight of the proposed 'joint statements'

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

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

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...

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

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.

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...

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...

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...

Just over half of voters (52%) view the Windsor Framework as an appropriate way to manage the effects of Brexit.

The issue on which there is most consensus is that Brexit is on balance a bad thing for Northern Ireland: 63% think so, including 55% strongly, compared to 31% thinking it good...

48% of respondents regard the Windsor Framework as ‘on balance a good thing for Northern Ireland’, the lowest level since June 2021; 36% disagree...

And on that labyrinthine complexity...

Among the aims: 'help[ing increase the countries’ competitiveness and ultimately prepares the WB 6 for EU Membership'

On the Berlin Process: www.berlinprocess.de