The European Commission yesterday formally opened up a new relationship with Ireland's Border, Midland and Western (BMW) and Southern & Eastern (SE) regional authorities when the Commissioner for Regional Affairs, Mr Michel Barnier, and officials from the two authorities formally signed off here on five EU-funded operational programmes.

They include two regional programmes specifically administered by the two regions to which the EU commitment is #400 million (£315 million) and #572 million respectively. EU Structural and Cohesion Funding will contribute some #3.9 billion towards Ireland's #51 billion investment in the National Development Programme between 2000-2006.

The regionally-based programmes will focus on local infrastructure and enterprise, agriculture and rural development, and social inclusion and childcare. Roads, water, and waste facilities will be upgraded in addition to the provision of advanced telecommunications and e-commerce infrastructures, improved environmental programmes, and health and education services.

The Commissioner, who promised to visit Ireland in the near future to see the programmes in action, said that it was the first time the EU had funded regions in Ireland directly - because of the recent subdivision of the State for structural funding.