2016年6月，英國「脫歐公投」（Brexit vote）通過，並於2017年3月啟動脫歐相關程序，預計在兩年內完成脫離歐洲聯盟。在此期間，英國面臨了一連串政治和經濟動盪，其中北愛爾蘭與愛爾蘭邊境問題，更是脫歐談判過程的一大障礙。未來的發展，不但影響英國政經發展甚鉅，也將衝擊多年來歐盟致力推動之區域政策與歐洲整合的成效。本研究從文獻分析及個案研究方法，檢視「愛爾蘭/英國(北愛爾蘭)邊界區域」跨境合作所面臨的制度調整與解決方案。同時對歐盟二十餘年來所致力建構的區域治理機制重新加以評估。研究問題包括：一、歐盟的區域政策與區域治理的制度設計；二、愛爾蘭/英國(北愛爾蘭)邊界的跨域合作之發展與成效；三、英國脫歐後，愛爾蘭/英國(北愛爾蘭)跨域治理的現狀、議題，以及談判過程與解決方案；以及四、對「新區域主義」及「新功能主義」為主流之跨域治理理論與實務的再訪與檢討。
The Brexit referendum was passed in June 2016, and the following Brexit procedures were launched in March 2017. It is expected to complete exit from the European Union within two years. During this period, the UK has faced a series of political and economic turmoil, and the Ireland/UK (Northern Ireland) border issue became a major obstacle to the Brexit negotiations. The future circumstances will not only affect political and economic development in the UK, but also influence regional policies and European integration that the EU has been promoting for many decades. This study examines the institutional adjustments and solution alternative for cross-border cooperation in the “Ireland/UK (Northern Ireland) border region” from literature analysis and case study methods. At the same time, the regional governance mechanism that the EU has been building for more than 20 years has been reassessed. Research questions of this study include: 1. The EU’s regional policies and regional governance mechanism design; 2. the development and effectiveness of cross-border cooperation across the Ireland/UK (Northern Ireland) border; 3. The situations and issues of cross-boundary governance in the Ireland/UK (Northern Ireland) region after the Brexit, as well as the negotiation process and solutions; and 4. The revisiting and review of the theory and practice of cross-boundary governance that have long unpinned concepts of the “new regionalism” and “neo-functionalism.”
