Brexit: Northern Ireland should go on getting EU funding after 2020, say MEPs
Northern Ireland should go on getting EU funding after 2020, when the Brexit transition period ends, said the Regional Development Committee on Wednesday.
Enabling Northern Ireland to continue participating in the EU’s general cohesion funds after 2020 would benefit its economic and social development, particularly in disadvantaged and rural areas, note MEPs.
To sustain peace and ensure the region’s stability, EU-supported cross-border and inter-community schemes, the Northern Ireland Peace Programme and the Interreg programmes, should also continue after 2020, without prejudice to the ongoing EU-UK Brexit negotiations, they add.
Under EU management
EU funding for Northern Ireland should be maintained at an adequate level after 2020 and the EU should continue to reach out to both communities there, by playing an active role in managing it, says the text, which notes that 85% of funding for the PEACE and Interreg programmes comes from the EU.
Future funding
The EU Commission plans to propose to continue funding these programmes under the EU’s Multi-annual Financial Framework (long-term budget) for 2021-2027, notes the committee.
MEPs also point out that the UK’s April 2018 position paper on the future of cohesion policy proposes exploring a potential post-2020 successor to the Peace IV and Interreg V-A programmes with the Northern Ireland Executive, the Irish government and the EU.
Finally, MEPs consider it essential that the people of Northern Ireland, and in particular young people, should continue to have access to economic, social and cultural exchanges across Europe, particularly to the Erasmus+ programme.
The resolution was approved by 32 votes to 2, with 4 abstentions.
Next steps
The resolution still needs to be approved by Parliament as a whole, probably after the summer break. It will be forwarded to the Council and Commission, the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive and the governments and parliaments of EU member states and their regions.
Background
Northern Ireland, one of the EU’s poorest regions, benefits from the:
- European Regional Development Fund (making SMEs more competitive: total budget €522,091,481 for 2014-2020, of which the EU contributes €313,254,888),
- European Social Fund (improving skills to reduce unemployment: total budget €513,382,725 for 2014-2020, of which the EU contributes €205,353,090),
- European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (modernising farms and agri-food businesses: total budget €760,100,000 for 2014-2020, of which the EU contributes €228,400,000),
- European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (improving fishing vessels and fish farming: total budget €18,310,000 for 2014-2020, of which the EU contributes €13,730,000),
- Northern Ireland Peace Programme (reinforcing peace and stability by fostering reconciliation in Northern Ireland and the border region: total budget €229,169,320, of which the EU contributes €229,169,320), and
- Interreg programmes (cross-border job-creation and transport projects with adjoining parts of the Republic of Ireland and western Scotland: total budget €282,761,998, of which the EU contributes €240,347,606).
Further Information
Rapporteur Derek Vaughan (S&D, UK)