The European Commission has endorsed the work of the special EU peace programme for Northern Ireland and the Border regions. Arguing for continuing funding, it says it is "an absolutely crucial" support to those working for reconciliation. "The contribution made by the programme is becoming ever more substantial," a Commission report says.
A measure of the success of the programme, established in 1995, and the spread of interest in it are the 14,000 separate applications for financial aid in Northern Ireland, of which over 7,000 have been approved, the report says.
The Commissioner for Regional Affairs, Ms Monica Wulf-Mathies, said yesterday: "Because the ideas for action come from the people themselves, it gives them a sense of ownership and a greater stake in trying to make peace work." Ms Wulf-Mathies will attend a conference in Belfast today to discuss the report's findings and the future of structural funding. Convened by the Northern Ireland Office and bringing together 400 representatives of political parties, district councils and community groups, it is to debate strategic planning for Northern Ireland.
She will also visit several EU-funded projects before going to Dublin for meetings with ministers tomorrow. In its report to ministers, the European Parliament and other EU bodies, the Commission says a continuation of funding is crucial to the success of the programme. The Union earmarked some £240 million over the last three years, supplemented by funds from Dublin and London.
The programme has another two years to run and the Commission is seeking £80 million from unallocated structural funds for 1998 and again in 1999.
It says much of the good done would be wasted if funded projects were not allowed to develop. The EU's contribution compares with some £12 million received by the International Fund for Ireland from the US in 1996, with smaller sums from Australia and Canada.
The Commission says the importance of the programme lies in its successful targeting of the most marginalised and vulnerable communities and in the decentralised method of distributing funds - nearly 60 per cent is administered by bodies other than government.
The report says the degree of community awareness and enthusiasm can be seen in the 14,000 applications from the North. Fourteen hundred projects have applied in the Republic's Border counties, of which 950 have been approved - 20 per cent of the programme's spending is in the Republic, while 15 per cent is allocated to cross-Border projects.
