Archive
Contents
- Ministers' meet with President of the European Commission
- CoR and CLRAE joint delegtions meeting in Belfast
- European Parliament Regional Development Committee visit
- Opportunity Europe 2007
- Student Mock Council of the European Union
- CoR Open Days 2007
- 50th Anniversary of the Treaty or Rome - Events
- CoR Open Days 2006
- Opportunity Europe 2006
- Louvain Institute
- Head of European Civil Service visits Belfast
Ministers’ meet with President of the European Commission
During a two-day visit to Brussels on 9-10 January, First Minister, Rt Hon Dr Ian Paisley MP MLA and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness MP MLA secured the commitment of EU Commission President José Manuel Barroso to extend the life of the special EU taskforce for Northern Ireland. Read more about the Barroso Taskforce
Committee of the Regions and Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe joint delegations meeting in Belfast
UK and Irish delegations to the European Union’s Committee of the Regions (CoR) and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe (CLRAE) met jointly in Belfast on 10 December 2007.
This was the first meeting of its kind to bring together all four of these delegations to debate topical issues and share best practice. This event provided an opportunity for elected officials from across the UK and Ireland serving on both European advisory groups to discuss their roles in Europe and to network with other delegates doing similar work. ‘Communicating Europe’ was a major theme of the event.
All four delegations jointly adopted and issued a joint ‘Belfast statement'(PDF 30 KB)
Following the day’s work, Cllr Sean Neeson MLA, Northern Ireland’s representative in the regional chamber of CLRAE, hosted a evening reception and dinner for the delegates and guests in Parliament Buildings, Stormont. The Speaker of the Assembly, William Hay MLA sponsored the drinks reception, welcoming the delegates to Belfast. Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie, a former member of the CoR, and Junior Minister Paisley also attended the evening reception.
Sean Neeson MLA wth Alan Lloyd and Gordon Keymer, leaders of the UK delegations, during the day's meeting at the Hilton, Belfast.
Junior Minister Paisley met the UK CoR and CLRAE delagation leaders, Cllrs Gordon Keyer and Alan Lloyd, at a drinks reception in Parliament Buildings.
The speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, William Hay MLA, welcomed delegates and guests to Stormont.
A delegation fromthe European Parliament Regional Development Committee visited Northern Ireland on Monday 10 September 2007 as part of a four day visit to Ireland. Two of Northern Ireland's MEP's, Bairbre de Brun and Jim Nicholson are members of the Committee and were part of the visiting delegation.
The Committee was undertaking a four day visit to review the use of European funding in the period up to 2006 and arrangements for the forthcoming programmes which will run to 2013. Whilst here, the Committee met with Assembly Ministers and a number of organisations involved in the dispersal of European Structural Funds before departing to County Donegal.
Martin McGuinness MP MLA, Gerry Kelly MLA, Bairbre de Brún MEP, Jan Olbrycht, Vice- Chair of the Regional Development Committee, Ian Paisley Jnr MLA and Jim Nicholson MEP
The Regional Development Committee in session in Parliament Buildings
The Delegation with the deputy First Minister and Junior Ministers
Several Thousand school children and young people attended Opportunity Europe 2007, an award winning European event, held in St. George’s Market in Belfast on 13 and 14 November. EPCU teamed up with Belfast City Council, the European Commission and other stakeholders to plan the event, which provides workshops and exhibitions highlighting Northern Ireland’s links with Europe and the opportunities available to work, study, volunteer and do business in Europe.
In addition to attending workshops and learning from the many exhibitors on hand; students and visitors participated in table quizzes, received salsa dancing lessons and were entertained by COOL FM.
Representatives from the business world led workshops on the value of languages in today’s economy. Local firms, including Bombardier Aerospace, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Michelin Tyre PLC, Caterpillar Business Services, Belfast City Council and Montupet shared their experience of doing business in Europe. Ex-patriots from France, Lithuania, Belgium, Poland and Spain also took part.
Belfast City Council's European Unit has been Highly Commended by the National Centre for Languages European Award for Language Programme for staging Opportunity Europe.
For more information on this event, please contact Jaime Bennett at Hapening (NI) Ltd. Tel: 028 9066 4020, E-mail: jaime@happen.co.uk
The British Council and the European Commission Office in Northern Ireland are inviting schools to take part in a role-play of a meeting of the Council of the European Union on 17 October, 2007, in Parliament Buildings at Stormont.
You can watch the webcast from last year’s event on the british councils website
Participation in this simulated council meeting will demonstrate to students how the main decision making body of the European Union functions. Students will get a chance to practice their debating and diplomacy skills in a realistic setting, observed by teachers and students from 28 participating schools. For more information contact the British Council at ERCNI@britishcouncil.org.
The Open days European Week of Regions and Cities, organised by the Committee of the Regions and the European Commission Directorate-General for Regional Policy (DG Regio), was held in Brussels from 8-11 October 2007. A total of 212 regions and cities—up from 135 last year— participated in what is the biggest event in the regional policy calendar.
The overall theme was ‘Making It Happen: Regions Deliver Growth and Jobs’. The regions and cities were split into 24 conglomerates, focused on shared challenges in areas such as sustainable energy, science and innovation, inter-regional cooperation, local governance and maritime policy. Some 33 countries were represented, including non European Union countries Turkey, Russia, Croatia, Norway, Switzerland, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome by France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg on March 25, 1957. The Treaty of Rome established the European Economic Community. The preamble to the Treaty affirmed that signatory States were ‘determined to lay the foundations of an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe.’ The Treaty has been amended several times to take account of new Member States joining the Union and the word ‘economic’ has now been removed from the name of the Community and Treaty.
The United Kingdom joined in 1973 and is now part of a European Union of 27 Member States.
Several events to commemorate the 50th Anniversary will take place in Northern Ireland throughout 2007.
Berlin Declaration
EU heads of State and Government attended celebrations in Berlin on 25 March 2007 to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Treaty of Rome. The Berlin Declaration was issued, signed by the Presidents of the three European Institutions, which extolled the virtues of the European Union and the many reasons to celebrate at 50.
The United Kingdom has welcomed the recognition in the Declaration of the future challenges facing the European Union, such as climate change, energy security, poverty and global terrorism. These are key areas for the United Kingdom and ones on which we can achieve more by working together.
Europe Day postcard competition for primary schools
The British Council, in conjunction with the European Commission Office in Belfast, organised a competition for primary school children throughout Northern Ireland to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Treaty of Rome. Pupils were invited to design a postcard which will be used to mark Europe Day on 9 May 2007. Tara McKeown from St. Joseph’s Primary School in Bessbrook designed the winning postcard (shown below) which was printed and distributed by both the British Council and the European Commission Office.
For more information on the competition and to view some of the other entries, visit the British Council (Northern Ireland) website .
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Belfast City Council’s celebration of the EU’s birthday
To mark the 50th Birthday of the European Union, a full programme of activities is planned to show the best of what Belfast has to offer the rest of Europe. For more information and a list of planned events, visit the Belfast City Council’s webpage
October 2006
Opportunity Europe 2006 was held in St. George’s Market on 2 and 3 October, during a week of festivities marking the European Day of Languages. Over 5,000 people attended the two day fair and exhibition designed to highlight Northern Ireland’s many links with Europe. EPCU helped plan the event with the Belfast City Council, the European Commission, the British Council and other stakeholders to provide secondary school students and teachers with more information on the opportunities available in Europe.
One of the Spanish language taster sessions that took place at Opportunity Europe.
Hanson at joint opening of phase one of Louvain development and refurbishment project
David Hanson MP, Minister of State and Brian Cowen TD, the Republic of Ireland’s Finance Minister attended the opening of the first phase of a major development and refurbishment programme at the Louvain Institute on 11 July 2006. This was a joint North/South collaboration.
The event was attended by those closely associated with the Institute from both parts of Ireland and included politicians, European Representatives, European Institution representatives and civil society groups.
David Hanson MP speaking at the opening of phase 1 of the Louvain Institute’s development and refurbishment programme.
David Hanson MP and Brian Cowen TD cut the tape to formally open phase 1 of the Louvain Institute’s development and refurbishment programme.
L to R – Brian Nason, Irish Ambassador to Belgium, Brian Cowen TD, Tom Jago, President Louvain Institute, Malachy Vallely, Director General Louvain Institute, David Hanson MP.
Hanson announces Northern Ireland’s investment in the heart of European Union (EU)
David Hanson MP, Minister for Europe, visited the Louvain Institute for Ireland in Europe on 8 June 2006 to see how Northern Ireland’s contribution is being used to develop the historic college.
The Minister was briefed on the Institute by its Director-General, Malachy Vallely, followed by a tour of the work completed to date. He later met invited guests including the architects and the construction company responsible for the project, in the Institute’s historic garden.
Pictured from left to right: William Dukelow, Kenny Knox OFMDFM, Louis Roppe a Louvain Institute Board Member, David Hanson MP, Evelyn Cummins Director of the Office of the NI Executive, Brussels, and Malachy Vallely
The Minister chats to guests following a tour of the Institute.
Head of European Civil Service Visits Belfast
On Friday 18 November, The Secretary General of the European Commission, David O’Sullivan, met with senior civil servants in Belfast. This was a rare opportunity to hear from such an influential EU official working at the heart of EU policy and decision making. As Secretary General, David O’Sullivan is the head of the European Civil Service. His principal mission is to ensure the delivery of the European Commission’s political priorities as defined by President José Manuel Barroso.
This visit took place several days before Mr. O’Sullivan takes up post as Director-General for External Trade in a reshuffle of senior posts within the Commission. Another Irish citizen, Catherine Day, will take up the post of Secretary General on 21 November.
Several other Commissioners visited Northern Ireland in 2005, including:
- Jacques Barrot (Transport)
- Danuta Hubner (Regional Policy)
- Vladimir Spidla (Employment, Social Affairs)
- Joe Borg (Fisheries)
These visits allow Commissioners to learn first hand about the implementation of EU policies in Northern Ireland.
