Events

Opportunity Europe and Beyond will take place on Tuesday 18 and Wednesday 19 October 2011 in St. George's Market, Belfast.

Opportunity Europe and Beyond is an annual two-day fair and exhibition. This award-winning event helps visitors find out more about working, studying, volunteering and travelling throughout Europe and beyond. It encourages understanding and enjoyment of the variety of different cultures in Northern Ireland, Europe and beyond.

The programme includes music, dance, quizzes, visual arts, food, workshops, exhibition stands and discussions ; promoting linguistic and cultural diversity and highlighting our European and international links.

The fair will also promote the European Year of Volunteering 2011.

Admission is free.

For more information on Opportunity Europe and Beyond, please see the programme of events.

For details on how to book workshops at Opportunity Europe, go to www.regonline.co.uk/opportunityeurope2011..

First Minister Peter Robinson MLA and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness MP, MLA presented the European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Johannes Hahn, whose Directorate-General, DG Regio, leads the Barroso Task Force, with the Executive’s 2011-12 European Priorities. To view the document and more detail on the event, please visit the European Priorities 2011-12 page at the link below.

Commissioner Hahn was in the region to open the Peace Bridge in Derry/Londonderry, which received £14.7million of PEACE III Programme funding.

First Minister Peter Robinson MLA and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness MP, MLA used a two-day visit to Brussels to engage politically at the highest levels, including with European Commission President Barroso, the President of the European Parliament, Jerzy Buzek and Chair of the Parliament’s Regional Development Committee, Danuta Hübner, as well as Commissioner’s Geoghegan-Quinn and Hahn, and local MEPs Jim Nicholson and Diane Dodds.

President Barroso officially opened the new premises of the Office of the Northern Ireland Executive in Brussels and announced that he would send the Task Force, set up in 2007, to return in early 2011 to examine further potential funding opportunities.

Mr Robinson said: "President Barroso’s announcement this morning is hugely significant for Northern Ireland.  The taskforce was a unique initiative originally setup in 2007 to ensure that Northern Ireland took full advantage of the opportunities that membership of the EU offers.”

Mr McGuinness said: “Healing division, tackling the causes of conflict and embedding peace does not happen overnight.  The President and the European Union have been with us in every step we have taken along this process.  The continuation of the Task Force during these financially difficult times across Europe, underscores the President’s commitment to building peace.  The Task Force is a unique approach to promoting our interests and involvement in Europe.

Ministers also met with EU officials including the Brussels-based Chair of the Barroso Task Force Ronnie Hall, the UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the EU Andy Lebrecht and Ireland’s Permanent EU Representative Rory Montgomery.

See the press releases for the visit below

(First Minister Peter Robinson MLA and deputy First Minister Matin McGuinness, MP, MLA in discussion with President Jose Manuel Barroso during thier visit to Brussels)