EP - Budget for Iraq and PEACE II programme

Reimer BÖGE (EPP-ED, DE)
Report on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the flexibility instrument in favour of the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Iraq according to point 24 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 6 May 1999
Doc.: A6-0069 /2004
Procedure : Interinstitutional agreement
Vote: 16.12.2004

Vote

Parliament adopted a report on the use of the flexibility instrument primarily for the budget for Iraq. The Commission proposes to continue the support to the stabilisation and reconstruction process in Iraq initiated in 2003 and 2004 as one of its key external responsibility priorities in 2005. For that purpose, an amount of €200m is set aside in the 2005 budget, of which €190m to be implemented under "Aid for rehabilitation and reconstruction of Iraq" and €10m under "Development and consolidation of democracy and the rule of law - Respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms". These amounts will be financed by redeployment and mobilisation of the margin existing under the ceiling of Heading 4 "External actions" of the financial perspective, and by mobilising the flexibility instrument for an amount of €115m.

The budget for the PEACE II programme is extended to 2006. The total budget is €108m, €50m is allocated for 2005.

The second Programme for Peace and Reconciliation in Northern Ireland and the Border Region of Ireland (2000-2004) demonstrates concrete European Union solidarity and support for the peace process established by the Belfast Agreement. It is designed to address the economic and social legacy of 30 years of conflict in the region and to take advantage of new opportunities arising from the restoration of peace. This programme - unique in Europe - follows the work pioneered in the Special Support Programme Community Initiative (1995-1999).

The programme benefits a wide range of sectors, areas, groups and communities which have been particularly affected by the conflict and encourages cross-community projects. The greatest share of the funding is managed by locally-based partnership structures and by non-government organisations. These structures allow all parts of the community to come together and work at grassroots level, both North and South of the border. This approach has proved successful over the years in paving the way to reconciliation among local stakeholders and extending the reach of EU funding to parts of the communities which would not otherwise have benefited.

This joint UK/Ireland programme forms part of the Community Support Frameworks of both Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland. The total budget available for funding projects is estimated over €740m, of which the European Structural Funds will provide €531m (75 per cent of public funding). Around 80 per cent of the total programme's allocation will go to projects in Northern Ireland and 20 per cent to the Border Region of Ireland; 15 per cent of the overall programme will be attributed to cross-border projects.

Finally, the flexibility instrument will also be used to the tune of €40m in order to find a solution to the financing of agencies, whose numbers have increased over recent years which causes certain difficulties in the financing of internal policies.

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