European Structural Funds

The Department of Education is currently involved with two EU Programmes, the Peace III Programme 2007-2013 and the Interreg IVA Programme 2007 – 2013.  However the Department is not an accountable Department for either Programme.

Peace III Programme 2007 – 2013

The EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation in Northern Ireland and the Border Region of Ireland, 2007-2013 (the PEACE III Programme) is a € 333 million programme designed to build on the success of PEACE I and PEACE II in Northern Ireland and the Border Region of Ireland.  It is a distinctive European Union Structural Funds Programme aimed at reinforcing progress towards a peaceful, stable, shared society and will have a continued and renewed emphasis on reconciliation.  It will continue the earlier programme’s cross- border focus on Ireland, North and South.

PEACE III will deliver these priorities through measures that will:

• Build positive relations at the local level.
• Acknowledge the past.
• Create shared public spaces
• Increase institutional capacity for a shared society.

The eligible area for the PEACE III Programme 2007 – 2013 is Northern Ireland and the Border Region of Ireland (the Border Region comprises counties Louth, Monaghan, Cavan, Leitrim, Sligo and Donegal.

INTERREG IVA Programme 2007 – 2013

This €256 million programme will differ slightly from its predecessor in this new programming period as the eligible area now includes part of Western Scotland.  As with the previous INTERREG programme this INTERREG IVA will address the economic and social problems that result from the existence of borders.

The INTERREG IVA Programme 2007 – 2013 is targeted at the following eligible NUTS III areas:

• Northern Ireland: North of Northern Ireland; East of Northern Ireland; West and South of Northern Ireland;
• Ireland: The border consists of the six necklace counties along the border with Northern Ireland i.e., Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Louth, Monaghan and Sligo and:
• Scotland: Lochaber, Skye & Lochalsh, Arran & Cumbrae and Argyll & Bute, Dumfries and Galloway, East Ayrshire and North Ayrshire mainland, and South Ayrshire.

The INTERREG IVA Programme will assist two categories of projects: (i) North/South projects, as before; (ii) Tripartite projects that involve Ireland, North and South, and Western Scotland. Every project will therefore have an Ireland North and South, element.

The aims of the INTERREG IVA Programme are:

• To strengthen and deepen cross-border cooperation by supporting strategic plans and projects which maximise the impact of the funds
• To support strategic cross-border cooperation for a more prosperous region.
• To improve access to services to enhance the quality of life for those living in the eligible area.

The Special EU Programmes Body will be the Managing Authority and Joint Technical Secretariat for both the new Programmes.  These Programmes will continue to build on the success of their predecessors, PEACE II and INTERREG IIIA

Back to Top

As previously stated the Department of Education is not an accountable Department for either Programme and therefore should you require further information, please visit the Special EU Programmes Body’s website, www.seupb.eu

In addition EU Transnational Programmes (INTERREG IVB) and Interregional Programmes (INTERREG IVC) potentially offer additional funds to Northern Ireland beyond those allocated to the mainstream Structural Funds programmes detailed above.  The Transnational and Interregional Programmes represent significant funding opportunities and provide the potential for establishing partnership links with other regions.

They support projects involving partners from a minimum of three regions and two Member States.  Transnational Programmes (INTERREG IVB) are organised on a territorial basis with different states and regions grouped into particular eligible areas, each with its own Programme with its own distinctive priorities and themes.  Northern Ireland is part of the eligible area for three Transnational Programmes, the main details of which are summarised on the table below.  There is just one Interregional (INTERREG IVC) Programme and this is thematic rather than geographical in scope.  Any EU region is eligible to participate.  Again the main programme details are summarised below.

At Measure level, these Programmes cover a range of policy areas including enterprise, research and innovation, the environment and urban and rural development.  Further information about these programmes can be obtained from the Programme websites detailed above.

Northern Ireland would benefit from greater participation in these Programmes and DE would be happy to provide any organisations outside government (e.g. Councils, Universities) who are developing project ideas that fit within the policy areas for which DE has responsibility with appropriate support and guidance.

Back to Top