Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the ‘Proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No. 1260/1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds concerning the extension of the duration of the PEACE programme and the granting of new commitment appropriations’(COM(2004) 631 final)
Date: 2004-12-16
Institutions: European Economic and Social Committee
Subjects: EU programme, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Structural Funds, establishment of peace, reflation

28.6.2005

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 157/147

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the ‘Proposal for a Council Regu-
lation amending Regulation (EC) No. 1260/1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural
Funds concerning the extension of the duration of the PEACE programme and the granting of new
commitment appropriations’

(COM(2004) 631 final)

(2005/C 157/26)

On 9 December 2004 the Council decided to consult the European Economic and Social Committee,
under Article 262 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the abovementioned proposal.

In view of the urgency of the work, the European Economic and Social Committee decided at its 413th
plenary session of 15 and 16 December 2004 to appoint Mr Simpson as rapporteur-general and unani-
mously adopted the following opinion.

1. Introduction

The European Union has assisted peace and reconcilia-
1.1
tion activities in Northern Ireland and the Border Region of
Ireland since 1995 through two distinctive peace programmes
— the Special Support Programme for Peace and Reconciliation
(‘PEACE I’) 1995/99 and the EU Programme for Peace and
Reconciliation (‘PEACE II’) 2000/04.

of job creation, training and business development. The mid-
term evaluation of PEACE II commended the programme's
increased focus on peace and reconciliation criteria when
projects were being selected and noted the high proportion of
projects with cross-community dimensions. Both programmes
have had significant impacts in terms of job creation and busi-
ness development.

1.2
These programmes have provided around €100 million
per annum to the eligible region which includes all of Northern
Ireland and the Border Region of Ireland. Both programmes
share a common remit — to reinforce progress towards a
peaceful and stable society and to promote reconciliation; both
assist economic regeneration and social inclusion activities; and
both are delivered through locally based implementing bodies.

2.3
The mid-term evaluation identified a clear need for
further peace-building activities and recommended an increased
focus on activities that directly promote reconciliation. The
extension to 2006, proposed by the Commission, would give
effect to the recommendations of the mid-term evaluation by
supporting those existing Programme measures most in line
with the current need for enhancing reconciliation.

1.3
The current value of the PEACE II Programme for five
years is €531 million, or €106 million per annum. The annual
value of the Northern Ireland element is approximately €85
million and for the Border Region of Ireland approximately
€22 million. Both Member States provide 25 % matched
funding and ensure that the additional requirements of the
Programme are met.

2. Purpose of the Proposal for a Council Regulation

2.4
On 18 May 2004, the United Kingdom Prime Minister
and the Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland wrote to the
President of the Commission noting the achievements of the
two EU-funded PEACE programmes and the contributions they
have made to the Northern Ireland peace process. They
requested an extension of
the PEACE II Programme until
December 2006.

A two-year extension of the PEACE II Programme is
2.1
recommended because the level of political progress
in
Northern Ireland hoped for in 1998 has not been fully achieved
and the political
institutions have still not become stable.
Peace-building and reconciliation remain critically important.

2.2
An ex-post evaluation of PEACE I and a mid-term
evaluation of PEACE II were carried out as a single exercise in
2003. The PEACE I ex-post evaluation concluded that
the
programme had successfully promoted inclusivity and reconci-
liation, while delivering clear and measurable benefits in terms

2.5
On 16 June 2004 the President of the Commission
responded that the Commission was keen to maintain these
efforts. On 17/18 June 2004, at the request of the Prime Minis-
ters of the United Kingdom and Ireland, the European Council
took note of the current difficulties in the peace process in
Northern Ireland and confirmed its support for the efforts of
the two Governments in seeking to re-establish the devolved
political institutions. In order to support these efforts, the Euro-
pean Council called on the Commission to examine the possibi-
lity of aligning interventions under the PEACE II Programme
with the programmes of the Structural Funds, which come to
an end in 2006.

C 157/148

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Official Journal of the European Union

28.6.2005

4.2
The Committee has noted with interest the progress that
has been made since 1995 when PEACE I was approved. The
Committee has also noted and welcomes the recommendations
made to the Commission by the organisation responsible for
the delivery and supervision of PEACE II,
the Special EU
Programmes Body, which should simplify the operations of the
Programme and increase the focus on reconciliation activities.

The Committee also acknowledges that peace-building
4.3
through the involvement of people in the development of their
own communities is a continuous process. The Committee
therefore welcomes the positive contribution that the Local
Strategy Partnerships (LSPs), set up in Northern Ireland as a
result of Peace II, have made in promoting social partnership
and civic society. The Committee is pleased with the success of
the LSPs in establishing partnership between on the one hand
local government and other public bodies and on the other
hand the social partners. By this means LSPs, along with inter-
mediary funding bodies, have promoted reconciliation across
the divisions in NI society. The Committee is grateful for the
way in which the institutions of the European Union have
facilitated the development of these partnerships, which may
serve as a model for civic society in other parts of the EU and
other divided societies in the EU.

4.4
In line with the recommendation in the mid-term
evaluation of Peace II for an increased focus on activities that
promote directly reconciliation, the Committee hope that the
extension of Peace II will be used for projects, which are related
more to the specific aims of peace and reconciliation and
which are less dependent on purely economic criteria which
have little impact on sections of the community most affected
by civil disturbances. It would also be the Committee's aspira-
tion that the extension of Peace II would be used for projects
which relate to the racism and other problems of migrant
workers who seek to avail of the EU policies on freedom of
movement.

The Committee, therefore, supports the adoption of the

4.5
proposed Regulation.

The President

of the European Economic and Social Committee

Anne-Marie SIGMUND

Effectively, this would extend the PEACE II programme

2.6
by two further years.

3. Proposal for a Council Regulation

3.1
Document COM(2004) 631 (final) is the Commission
response to the Council's request. It proposes a two-year exten-
sion to the PEACE II Programme to the value of €60 million
per annum, of which €41 million is intended for expenditure
in Northern Ireland, and €19 million in the Border Region of
Ireland. This is in line with the request made by the two
Member States in September 2004, following public consulta-
tion.

To give effect to the extension of PEACE II and allocate
3.2
to it
for a
the necessary additional
Council Regulation would amend Regulation (EC) No.
1260/1999 which sets out general provisions on the Structural
Funds, including the duration of the PEACE II Programme and
total annual Structural Funds commitment appropriations until
2006.

the Proposal

finance,

3.3
The proposed Council Regulation, to enable this exten-
sion to be financed within the budget of the Structural Funds,
amends the provision for the total resources available for
commitment under the Structural Funds from €195 bn.to
€195.1 bn. A related amendment increases the ceiling of the
Structural Funds available for Objective 1 (including transitional
support) from €135.9 bn.to €136 bn. (1)

3.4
The proposed Council Regulation amends the duration
for the PEACE II Programme from 2000-2004 to the amended
dates, 2000-2006.

4. Conclusion

The Economic and Social Committee welcomes the
4.1
the European Union is making to the
contribution that
enhancement of peace, stability and reconciliation on the island
of Ireland.

Brussels, 16 December 2004.

(1) Technical correction:

the draft regulation mistakenly quotes the
current provision for Objective 1 as €135.6 bn. The original Regu-
lation 1260/1999, Article 7, refers to €135.9 bn.