EU INVOLVEMENT in Northern Ireland is the “unsung story” of the peace process, it was claimed yesterday.
Jane Morrice, a former Women’s Coalition Assembly member and former head of the European Commission office in Belfast, told The Irish Times there was little widespread understanding of the levels of economic, social and political support the EU had provided.
“It’s not just money,” she said. “We are talking €1.5 billion over the period from 1989 and that is big money. But what is more important are the partnerships that have been created. It wasn’t just about political parties working together – it was about social partners.”
She was speaking on the fringes of a two-day gathering by the European Economic and Social Committee at the University of Ulster, Jordanstown, which is considering The Role of the EU in the Northern Ireland Peace Process.
Delegates yesterday took part in a “recognition ceremony” to underscore the support of Brussels for the political settlement struck 10 years ago.
It was attended by First Minister Ian Paisley, Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness and by Noel Ahern, Minister of State at the Department of Finance.
Ms Morrice said the ceremony and the presence of the leaders of the Stormont Executive along with Monika Wulf-Mathies, the former EU regional commissioner, was a “thank you” to Europe.
She added while Northern Ireland had received very large sums of money under its objective one status for EU support, the future was “not about holding out our hands for more money. It’s about what Northern Ireland can do for Europe as well. We have heard from many speakers here today that Northern Ireland can teach the rest of Europe a lot, especially other areas of conflict . . . Also there are many lessons to be learned from the approach that Europe has made here,” she said.
The conference continues this morning with Ms Morrice in the role of rapporteur. The European Economic and Social Committee is hoping to produce a comprehensive review of past, present and future co-operation between the EU and what it calls “a corner of its territory which is turning a corner in its history”.