Irish Regions Office Website

November 07, 2007

New Funding Programmes for Northern Ireland

On November 6, the European Commission adopted three Structural Fund programmes for Northern Ireland for the period 2007-2013.

EU investment of EUR 724 million will be made available through the three programmes: the PEACE III programme; the cross-border co-operation programme with Ireland and Scotland; and the Regional Competitiveness and Employment programme for the province.

The Regional Competitiveness and Employment programme will focus on three key priorities: 1. Sustainable Competitiveness and Innovation, including the creation of six new centres of excellence in R&D; 2. Sustainable Enterprise and Entrepreneurship, including creating a favourable climate for new and expanding businesses; and 3. Improving Accessibility and Protecting and Enhancing the Environment. The programme has a total budget of EUR 614 million, with EUR 307 million coming from the EU. The PEACE III programme aims to further reinforce progress towards a peaceful and stable society and promote reconciliation in Northern Ireland and the Border Region. The programme will carry forward key aspects of the previous peace programmes (PEACE I and II) and will benefit from funding of EUR 333 million, including EUR 225 million from the EU. The Northern Ireland-Ireland-Scotland cross-border co-operation programme will have a budget of EUR 256 million, including EUR 192 million from the EU. This programme, which builds on the previous cross-border programmes between Ireland and Northern Ireland under the INTERREG Community Initiative, will include, for the first time, parts of Western Scotland, bringing a maritime dimension to the programme. To maximise the impact of the three programmes, and reflecting the EU's commitment to strongly support Northern Ireland in this new stage of its peace and reconciliation process, a special European Commission task force has been established, which involves a coordinated approach by Commission services. Further details at: http://www.seupb.ie

Posted by iroadmin at November 7, 2007 09:50 AM