The first funds from the latest €1.1 billion allocation for Northern Ireland from Brussels is already flowing, the European Commission announced today.
EU Regional Policy Commissioner Danuta Hubner told First Minister Ian Paisley and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness that the North was among the first to see aid flowing — speeding it advance as a prime region for investment and development.
The joint leaders of the Stormont Executive were in Brussels together for the first time in their new roles for talks on how to capitalise on a successful peace process and get the most out of European financial and other support.
Mr Paisley and Mr McGuinness praised the EU's continuing backing for the North and vowed to step up efforts to boost the region's research and development and the take up of EU programmes such as student exchange and incentives for small and medium-size businesses.
"We are in Europe, we want to be part of the European experience," Mr Paisley told a press conference in Brussels. "We believe we in Northern Ireland have a contribution to make. We believe there is room for innovation and growth in Northern Ireland and we are very grateful for the continued support we get from the Commission."
Ms Hubner said the first sum of €42 million was already flowing to Belfast from a total pot of €1.1 billion available from a range of financial EU programmes covering continued peace and reconciliation, rural and social development and agriculture.
A taskforce of EU officials set up last year to investigate how to maximise Northern Ireland's use of all EU aid programmes would be producing its final report at the end of February, probably in Belfast, the commissioner said.
After talks with Ms Hubner the two leaders met Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso. Mr Barroso told Mr Paisley and Mr McGuinness that the North already had a strong sense of hope following the peace process and the setting up of the Executive. "We now need to turn that into opportunities and help Northern Ireland use available European funding as quickly as possible," he told them.
He said up to now the bulk of EU funding had gone towards peace projects, but now the aim was to look at growth, innovation, research and training to build up the Northern Irish economy.
Mr Paisley and Mr McGuinness arrived in Brussels last night. Their visit follows last month's trip to the United States where the two leaders met President George Bush, Presidential candidate Senator Hillary Clinton and several leading business and political figures in Washington and New York.
They have been accompanied to Brussels by junior ministers Gerry Kelly and Ian Paisley Junior. They return to Belfast tonight.