NI regeneration tops the EU agenda

A £1.2 million funding boost announced last week under the EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation (PEACE II) has signalled a new commitment to regenerating Northern Ireland's urban and rural communities.

This is according to Concordia, the organisation which brings together the local business, agricultural, trade union and voluntary sectors in a bid to drive forward social and economic development in Northern Ireland.

Concordia received confirmation of the significant support package at the launch of its Partnership for Progress initiative at a ceremony attended by the Head of the European Commission, Eddie McVeigh.

Welcoming the announcement, Seamus McAleavey from the NI Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA) - one arm of the Concordia partnership - said: "To really get to grips with the issues inhibiting growth and development here - on both an individual and a community basis - requires a strong collaborative approach between all the strands that bind Northern Ireland society together.

"Concordia brings these strands together in a top-level partnership, which gives effective representation to all the issues affecting NI individuals, across every social and political stratum, and puts essential political leverage behind them."

Among the aims of Concordia's Partnership for Progress initiative are the empowerment of groups and individuals to play a fuller role in Local Strategy Partnerships, the advancement of learning and best practice through trans-national exchange programmes, the development of strategic partnerships within Europe and beyond, and the production of research to inform economic, social and agricultural policy making.

Jim McCusker from ICTU, added "The aim of Concordia is to help local communities tackle the social and economic problems of urban and rural communities. This means dealing with issues such as unemployment, sectarianism and state aid.

"Local Strategy Partnerships have made significant progress, which has been recognised by the European Union, but they need more support. One of the main tasks of Partnership for Progress is to provide that support."

Endorsing these objectives, the European Commission's Eddie McVeigh said Northern Ireland was ready to grasp the opportunity to become the preferred partner for other regions who wish to participate in collaborative ventures.

"This new project will enable Concordia and its partner organisations to establish links benefiting the wider community in Northern Ireland," he added.

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