Brussels, 23/03/2001 (Agence Europe) - Michel Barnier, European Commissioner for regional policy, signed, on Thursday in Belfast, the second Community programme for peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland and in the border region with Ireland (2000-2004).
Concrete illustration of the EU support for the peace process inaugurated by the Belfast agreements, the second programme for peace and reconciliation has as aim to tackle the economic and social consequences of thirty years of conflict. It priorities are economic recovery, social integration and rehabilitation, the local regeneration and development, cross border cooperation and the opening of a "more constructive" dialogue with other regions of the EU. Its value totals more than EUR 740 million for the 2000-2004 period, 531 million will be financed by the Community structural funds (ERDF, ESF, EAGGF, FIFG), the remainder by the public sector in the United Kingdom and the Irish Republic and also by the private sector. This programme is both part of Objective 1 (regions lagging behind in development) and the "Community Support Framework" concerning Northern Ireland and Ireland. Its global management will be ensured by the "Special EU Programmes Body", one of the six North-South implementation bodies created by the Belfast agreements. On the ground, the financing will be managed by local partnership structures and NGOs.