SEUPB JC 16 June 2000

1. The first meeting of the North/South Ministerial Council in its Special EU Programmes Sectoral Format was held at the Department of Finance, Dublin on 16 June 2000.

2. The Irish Government was represented by the Minister for Finance, Mr Charlie McCreevy TD. The Northern Ireland Executive Committee Delegation comprised Mr Mark Durkan MLA, Minister of Finance and Personnel and Mr Sam Foster MLA, Minister of the Environment.

3. Both sides acknowledged the significance of the occasion as the first meeting of the North/South Ministerial Council relating to the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), one of the six North/South Implementation Bodies which were established on 2 December 1999. The Body will have its Headquarters in Belfast, with regional offices in Monaghan and Omagh.

4. Both sides underlined the important contribution to peace, reconciliation, regional development and cross-border co-operation made by European Union programmes such as PEACE I, INTERREG, and the LEADER, EQUAL & URBAN programmes. They looked forward to the significant new role of the Special EU Programmes Body in the negotiation, management, monitoring and delivery of the successors to these programmes. In particular, the Council expressed the firm desire that the new political context and the role of the SEUPB should ensure a higher level of expenditure on co-operative actions co-funded by the European Union, especially PEACE II. The new programmes have the capacity to have a real impact on the lives of the people within Northern Ireland and the border area and the Council looked forward to the central role the Body would play in their implementation.

5. More broadly, both sides agreed that the establishment of the SEUPB served as a tangible, further reflection of the support and solidarity that had been shown over the years by the European Union in seeking to advance reconciliation and peace, and of its commitment to the new dispensation heralded by the Good Friday Agreement.

6. The Council received an oral report from the Interim Chief Executive on the progress to date in taking forward the work of the Special EU Programmes Implementation Body.

7. The Council endorsed proposals for taking forward the responsibilities of the Body which will be implemented under the direction of the Interim Chief Executive. The Council also endorsed the initial staffing structure for the Body and agreed on a formal procedure for the appointment of a permanent Chief Executive to the Body.

8. The Council also discussed the preparation and negotiation of the PEACE II Operational Programme. It was agreed that officials of the SEUPB would contribute, in accordance with its mandate, as appropriate, to the forthcoming negotiations on PEACE II with the European Commission.

9. The Council welcomed the fact that, as part of its duties, the SEUPB will act as sub-programme leader in relation to the cross-border sub-programme of the PEACE II Programme, thereby playing a key role in providing a focus and stimulus for cross-border activity. The Council noted that this sub-programme will provide opportunities for funding of cross-border co-operative actions across the full range of economic areas and will have a minimum budget of 75million Euro.

10. The Council also welcomed the central role of the SEUPB in promoting and monitoring the Common Chapter on North/South Co-operation contained in the 2000-6 National Development and Structural Funds Plans of the two administrations. The Council noted with approval that the Draft Community Support Frameworks of Ireland and Northern Ireland have committed a minimum indicative provision of 400 million Euro to projects in the area of North/South co-operation. The SEUPB will also have a specific budget to carry out research or commission studies to identify and alleviate constraints to effective North/South co-operation.

11. Ministers agreed that they would meet on a quarterly basis in this Sectoral Format, with the next meeting taking place in October in Northern Ireland, and locations alternating between North and South thereafter.

Joint Secratariat

16 June 2000