Brendan Howlin TD, Minister for Public Expenditure & Reform, yesterday welcomed a series of agreements reached between the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament on key EU funding instruments.
In Brussels yesterday, under the chairmanship of the Irish Presidency, member states endorsed agreements reached between the Parliament and the Irish Presidency on four regulations which form part of the overall €325 billion package on Cohesion funding:
·European Regional Development Fund (ERDF);
·Cohesion Fund (CF);
·European Territorial Cooperation (ETC);
·European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC).
Agreement was also reached on key elements of two further regulations: the Common Provisions Regulation (CPR) and the European Social Fund (ESF).
Noting that there had been almost 90 trilogue and technical meetings with the European Parliament and the European Commission under the Irish Presidency, the Minister said,
"the agreements reached yesterday are the result of hard work by the Irish Presidency over the last six months and I would like to thank all the officials concerned for their input. Ireland appreciates the importance of Cohesion funding and we have been working to ensure that the appropriate regulatory arrangements are in place in good time for the next funding round which commences on 1 January 2014."
The Minister said he was confident that agreement would now be reached quickly on the remaining elements of the Cohesion legislative package so that EU Member States would be able to plan for the next funding round with certainty.
The overall Cohesion package amounts to €325 billion of funding over the next seven years. Ireland is likely to see its current allocation of €900 million increase once final agreement has been reached on the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).
"Cohesion spending lies at the very heart of Europe’s growth agenda and will be one of the primary instruments available to the Union to drive investment and to promote jobs and growth in the years ahead as we strive to meet the Europe 2020 goals of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth."
Minister Howlin noted that EU leaders had agreed at their summit last February that the next round of funding would include special provisions of €100 million for the Border, Midland & Western Region and €150 million for a new cross-border PEACE programme.
"Cohesion funding has been good for Ireland. More than that, forty years’ experience has taught us that it has been good for Europe. It lies at the very heart of European integration and solidarity and gives real meaning to those words."