Northern Ireland is expected to continue to benefit from certain European funds linked to post-2020 Cohesion Policy after the United Kingdom leaves the European Union, according to the regional development committee (REGI) at the European Parliament when it adopted the initiative report by Derek Vaughan (S&D, United Kingdom) on Wednesday 20 June.
MEPs expressed fears that the end of the European programmes covered by the current financial framework would endanger cross-border, inter- and cross-community trust-building activities and, as a consequence, the peace process in Northern Ireland. In this regard, they are requesting that this British region, at the heart of the Brexit issue with its hard border with Ireland, can participate in cross-border (Interreg) and inter-community programmes.
The parliamentary committee highlighted the importance of the PEACE programme and called for efforts to be made to improve the visibility of European action in Northern Ireland, particularly as a means of assuaging inter-community conflicts.
The MEPs point out that Northern Ireland is “one of the poorest regions in the north of Western Europe” due to deindustrialisation and inter-community conflicts that raged until the end of the last century.
In this regard, they are highlighting the importance of European funds, particularly the European Regional Development Fund (around €313 million for the region between 2014 and 2020), the European Social Fund (€205 million), the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (€228 million), the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (€13 million), and, finally, the Peace Programme ‘PEACE IV’ (€229 million).
The draft report will be voted on during Parliament's plenary session in September. As part of the future Cohesion Policy, the European Commission has included provisions to include the United Kingdom in territorial cooperation programmes (see EUROPE 12029, 12024).
MEPs are currently looking at the possibility of implementing a specific European fund for the regions affected by Brexit (see EUROPE 12041).
According to a position paper published in April 2018, the United Kingdom is seeking to continue the PEACE programme and certain Interreg programmes. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)