SEUPB JC 9 October 2002

1. The seventh meeting of the North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC) in the Special EU Programmes Sector was held in Ballycastle on Wednesday 9 October 2002. The Northern Ireland Administration was represented by Dr Seán Farren, MLA, Minister of Finance and Personnel, who chaired the meeting and Sir Reg Empey, MLA, Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment. The Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Mr Tom Parlon TD, represented the Irish Government.

2. The Chief Executive of the SEUPB, Mr John McKinney, gave an overview of developments since the last meeting of the Council on 20 February 2002. This progress report covered a range of topics including: progress made in the administrative winding down of the EU PEACE I and INTERREG II Programmes; work in implementing the new PEACE II Programme and INTERREG III Community Initiative; developing and implementing the other Community Initiatives (LEADER+, URBAN II and EQUAL) and ensuring that policies to target social needs are firmly built into the priorities and measures right across the operations of the SEUPB.

3. The Council welcomed the report from Mr McKinney on the progress made since its last meeting and stressed the critical role of the SEUPB in implementing the EU Programmes for which it is responsible. The Council welcomed progress that had been achieved in developing the network of channels through which EU funds support individual projects.

4. The Council also recognised the enormous contribution that the European Union has made in helping the peace process through dedicated Programmes such as PEACE and INTERREG. Between 1995 and 2006 some €1.333 billion (£830 million) of European funds will have been committed North and South under these Programmes. They have and will continue to be a major help in bringing both individuals and communities together and building a new spirit of community among those affected by conflict.

5. The Council heard that the administrative work associated with formally closing the Special Support Programme for Peace and Reconciliation in Northern Ireland and the Border Counties of Ireland 1995-1999 (PEACE I) and the INTERREG II Programmes is virtually complete.

6. The Council welcomed the progress that has been made to date in managing the complex financial and reporting procedures involved with both Programmes.

7. The Council heard that all delivery mechanisms are now in place, including 26 Local Strategy Partnerships (LSPs) that channel PEACE II funding to individual projects in Northern Ireland, 6 County Council led Task Forces that operate in the Border Region of Ireland and 12 Intermediary Funding Bodies. Almost all measures are now open for project applications and to date around 2,700 applications have been received. The Council was told that the Programme Complement, which is a key document that sets out performance indicators and other targets for approved projects, has been drafted and will shortly be agreed with the Monitoring Committee.

8. Under the five Priority Areas (Economic Renewal, Social Integration, Inclusion and Reconciliation, Locally Based Regeneration and Development, Outward and Forward Looking Region and Cross-Border Co-operation) grants valued at over €94 million (£58.7) have been approved to date.

9. To effectively manage the volume of financial data and project details, the Council was told that work has already commenced on implementing a monitoring database that will provide the SEUPB with the necessary financial and non-financial information it will need to effectively manage the Programme.

10. The Council recognised that the volume of applications could at times give rise to processing backlogs and urged the SEUPB to look at what action could be taken to improve the flow of project assessments and approvals. The Council asked that operational arrangements be put in place to ensure that expenditure under the Programme keeps pace with the budgeted drawdowns that have already been agreed with the European Union.

11. The focus of this Programme is to promote integrated regional development between neighbouring border regions across the EU. INTERREG IIIA is the cross-border strand of the INTERREG III Community Initiative. As the SEUPB has been designated both the Paying Authority and Managing Authority for the Ireland/Northern Ireland INTERREG IIIA Programme, Council was told that the SEUPB office in Belfast will discharge the Paying Authority responsibilities with the Monaghan office taking on the Managing Authority role. This separation will allow these functions to be carried out independently of each other to ensure consistency with national and EU Regulations.

12. The Council heard that Programme Complement which sets out the detailed implementation arrangements, objectives and benchmarks for the Programme will be agreed by the Monitoring Committee shortly and that the programme will be open for applications in the very near future. The Council welcomed the progress that has been made so far and encouraged the SEUPB to have the Programme working on the ground as quickly as possible.

13. The Council was told that the European Commission's Guidelines for INTERREG IIIA require that a Joint Steering Group be established to select projects to be assisted and to monitor and evaluate their implementation.

14. The Council welcomed that fact that the Joint Steering Group will shortly be approved by the Monitoring Committee. The Steering Group will be representative of a broad range of relevant interests North and South, including the four pillars of social partners as well as the Border Corridor Groups and the CORE Group of District Councils.

15. The Structural Funds Plan for Northern Ireland and the National Development Plan (NDP) for the South, 2000 - 2006, contained a Chapter of agreed text, in respect of Northern Ireland and Ireland, common to both Plans, referred to as the Common Chapter. The Council was told that the Joint Steering Group, which was established by NSMC to support the SEUPB in discharging its Statutory mandate in relation to the Common Chapter, has finalised an approach to recording Common Chapter activity and assessing the associated investment. The Council heard that the Joint Steering Group has given the SEUPB the task of preparing an annual report on Common Chapter activity and of preparing a strategy and implementation plan for the promotion of the Common Chapter. The Council asked that it be regularly updated on progress in these areas so that it can continuously review activity under the Common Chapter.

16. In addition, the Council heard that the Northern Ireland Community Support Framework Monitoring Committee and the Irish NDP/CSF Monitoring Committee are to establish a Joint Working Group to oversee the effective contribution of Structural Funds to relevant aspects of the Common Chapter. The Group's terms of reference and membership structure has been agreed by the Northern Ireland CSF Monitoring Committee and would be submitted for approval to the next meeting of the NDP/CSF Monitoring Committee on 29 November 2002.

17. The Council was told that the New Targeting Social Needs Action Plan aims to tackle, in an objective manner, need and social exclusion. This will be achieved by targeting resources, within existing programmes, towards people, groups and areas in greatest social need within the context of the Programmes' objectives. The Council was told that for the SEUPB the allocation of these resources will take place through its PEACE II and INTERREG III Programmes and the Community Initiatives EQUAL, LEADER+ and URBAN II.

18. The Council strongly welcomed this new approach to tackling social deprivation, especially as the emphasis will be to combat unemployment, inequalities in health, housing and education and generally to identify and deal with factors which can contribute to social exclusion.

19. At the plenary meeting of the NSMC in Armagh on 28 June 2002 the Council considered the most effective arrangements to give effect to paragraph 17 of Strand 2 of the Agreement. The Council decided that each Sector should consider any related EU issues requiring attention and report on these matters to a Working Group that has been set up to analyse and coordinate these matters.

20. The Council considered that there is already a very full range of issues for which this Sector is responsible. It is possible that under the broad umbrella of both Structural Fund and Cohesion Fund topics, further matters could be considered. The Council asked both Finance Departments to prepare a report that could be considered at its next meeting on EU issues that are the respective responsibility of both Finance Ministers.

21. At the plenary meeting of the NSMC in Armagh on 28 June 2002 the Council agreed that Ministers in the respective NSMC Sectors should consider whether there are items of co-operation, which might be proposed in their future programmes of work. The Council reviewed the comprehensive work programme within this Sector which includes EU Structural Funds Programmes, EU Community Initiatives and Common Chapter activity. The Council asked both Finance Departments to review the scope for enhanced co-operation in the context of the respective responsibilities of Ministers in this Sector and looked forward to an early review of this matter at the next Council meeting.

22. The Council was informed that to facilitate the preparation of improved teaching materials in Irish for senior infants in Gaeltacht Primary schools and in Gaelscoileanna, there will be a requirement, as a temporary measure, for some additional staff. An Gúm is the office responsible for the provision of text books in the Irish language for the education sector. These posts are being filled by Foras na Gaeilge which is the Irish Language Agency of the North/South Language Body. The Council welcomed the project and the recruitment process for the new editorial positions involved.

23. The Council agreed that its next meeting in this Sectoral format will take place in Northern Ireland on a date to be confirmed.

Joint Secretariat

9 October 2002