SEUPB JC 9 April 2001

1. The third meeting of the North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC) in the Special EU Programmes Sector was held in Dublin on Monday 9th April, 2001. The Minister for Finance, Mr Charlie McCreevy TD, represented the Irish Government. The Northern Ireland Executive was represented by Mr Mark Durkan, MLA, Minister of Finance and Personnel, and Mr Dermot Nesbitt, Junior Minister in the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister.

2. The NSMC has responsibility for the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), one of the six North/South Implementation Bodies. The Council welcomed the recently appointed Chief Executive of the Body, Mr John McKinney, who delivered his first progress report to the NSMC. The NSMC also thanked Mr Philip Angus for the contribution he had made as interim Chief Executive of the Body.

3. Mr McKinney gave an overview of developments since the last meeting of the Council in this Sector on 15 November 2000 and identified progress towards a strategic plan that will enable the SEUPB to fulfil its mandate. The Council agreed that the various EU Programmes coming within the remit of the Body had a significant role to play in the development of peace and reconciliation and in terms of economic and social progress on the island as a whole and particularly in the border areas. Emphasising the importance of the role of the Chief Executive in this regard, the Council congratulated Mr McKinney on his new appointment and looked forward to working closely with him.

4. The Council welcomed the approval of the new Peace Programme by the European Commission. The Programme was approved in Belfast on 22 March 2001, during a visit by the Commissioner for Regional Policy, Michel Barnier. The Council noted that the Programme would provide some 536 million euro of funding for Northern Ireland and the Border Region over the period 2000-2004.

5. The Council received reports on progress on the implementation of the new Programme. In particular, it urged that the every effort must be made to ensure that funding comes on stream in the very near future. The Council was informed about arrangements for delivery of the Programme and the plans to establish a central payments unit under the direction of the SEUPB.

6. Ministers noted the steps that will be taken under the new Programme in Northern Ireland to reinforce partnership working at the local level by establishing more effective mechanisms to reinforce and extend the social partnership model and make it sustainable beyond the lifetime of the Programme. The objective is to ensure an evolution from the District Partnership model of PEACE I to a new model of local strategy partnerships based upon a more integrated and sustainable approach to planning at the local level.

7. The Council welcomed progress on the development of the new Ireland/Northern Ireland INTERREG III Programme. Negotiations with the European Commission on this Programme, worth over 170 million euro to Northern Ireland and the Border Region from now to the end of 2006, are about to commence. Ministers also noted the current position in relation to the progress of negotiations on the other Community Initiatives (ie EQUAL, LEADER+ and URBAN II). Some 182 million euro has been committed by the European Commission to these Programmes on the island of Ireland.

8. The Council received a report prepared by an Action Team established under the Chairmanship of the SEUPB to define and report on the future roles of the Border Corridor Groups, in the context of the new round of Structural Funds. These Groups are made up of the 18 local authorities in the border area North and South. The Council agreed a set of principles that, it considered, should underpin the work and roles of the Border Corridor Groups. The aim is to give these Groups a greater input into deciding on the priority for spending of EU funds in the Border Corridor area. The Council agreed that a substantive allocation of funds should be made to the Groups and that they should be involved in the decision making process in implementing the new Ireland/Northern Ireland INTERREG Programme.

9. The Council received a further report on progress to date on the PEACE I and INTERREG II Programmes which are due to finish at the end of 2001. The Council again urged that a sustained effort be made to ensure that full expenditure is achieved under both Programmes by 31 December 2001.

10. The NSMC receive an update on the outcome of the public consultation exercise undertaken by the SEUPB in relation to this draft Scheme and approved it for submission to the Equality Commission (NI)

11. The Council also approved the SEUPB's Draft Targeting Social Need Action Plan that was developed in accordance with the requirements of the New TSN Programme. The Council further agreed to the SEUPB engaging in a wide consultation process during April and May 2001 to assist it in finalising the draft Plan.

12. The Council received a progress report from the Chief Executive on the future staffing structure of the Body and agreed the immediate recruitment of personnel to a number of key permanent posts identified by the Chief Executive.

13. The Council agreed that its next meeting in this sectoral format will take place in the North in June 2001.

Joint Secretariat

9 April 2001