Today’s plenary saw the adoption of the important report on the impact of the EU cohesion policy on Northern Ireland, which was overwhelmingly approved in the Committee on Regional Development on 20 June 2018.

 

 

"This year marks 20 years since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement which paved the way for peace in Northern Ireland. Prior to the agreement many people, especially in the region, saw peace as an unachievable dream. Impossible in their lifetimes.

 

"The special EU programmes for Northern Ireland, especially the PEACE Programme and Interreg, are of key importance for sustaining the peace process, as they foster reconciliation through inter-community and cross-border projects. It is crucial that the EU ensures its adequate support for territorial co-operation regarding cross-border and cross-community projects post-2020”

 

 

“Despite the spreading critics against Europe, today we demonstrated that the EU is able to deliver and strengthen its capacity in investing in development and peace. Good practices with the cohesion funding and the PEACE programme should be taken as the EU model to overcome mistrust among communities in conflict and achieve lasting peace elsewhere.

 

“We consider crucial for post-2020 that the EU ensures its adequate support for territorial co-operation regarding cross-border and cross-community projects. In this regard, we welcome the Commission's plans to continue the PEACE PLUS programme which will build on the work of the previous programmes, PEACE and Interreg.”