Post by earl on Apr 7, 2008 20:16:16 GMT
N Ireland recovering well but still bears economic scars: EU
BRUSSELS (AFP) — Northern Ireland's economy is recovering but years of strife have "left scars" including underinvestment in infrastructure and over-dependence on the public sector, an EU report said Monday.
A report by the European Commission's Northern Ireland Task Force shows "Northern Ireland's economy is on the mend and has performed very well over recent years compared to the rest of the UK and to Europe as a whole," the Commission said in a statement.
"But the difficult times of the past appear to have left scars," it added, with the task force citing high unemployment and a "relatively wide educational gap" between high-performing students and those emerging with poor or no qualifications.
Northern Ireland, part of Britain but linked historically and geographically to the Republic of Ireland to the south, is also suffering from "a past of underinvestment in infrastructure, a dependence on the public sector ... and low levels of investment in new technologies."
EU Commissioner for Regional Policy Danuta Hubner said: "With peace and stability comes confidence, leading to new investment and new jobs. I am delighted that Northern Ireland's leaders were quick to draw the conclusion that there is an important European dimension to building prosperity."
The EU task force's job is to help Northern Ireland authorities to identify European policy initiatives and programmes which could to help support the region's economy.
In its report, it provides a long list of "leads" for the Northern Ireland authorities to follow up, including increasing the region's participation in research and development projects under an EU programme, engaging in more student exchange programmes and exchanging staff between the European Commission and the Northern Ireland administration.
Another possibility highlighted is to use the European Investment Fund to develop Northern Ireland's risk capital sector and encourage small businesses to flourish.
"It is today very difficult for a small region, on the periphery of Europe, to make the qualitative leap necessary to become a leading economic region on its own," the EU's executive arm said in its statement.
A spokeswoman for Hubner said tourism could also be boosted.
Another possibility being looked at by Northern Ireland authorities to turn to advantage the decades of deadly strife between their Catholic and Protestant communities, is to set up some kind of facility to share with other countries and regions that experience of bringing peace and ending conflict.
Hardline Nationalists in the Irish Republican Army and beyond sought for decades to unite the island of Ireland while Protestant militants pledged loyalty to Britain.
The historic Good Friday Agreement of April 1998, which eventually helped the two communities reach agreement on power-sharing, came into effect in Northern Ireland last year.
BRUSSELS (AFP) — Northern Ireland's economy is recovering but years of strife have "left scars" including underinvestment in infrastructure and over-dependence on the public sector, an EU report said Monday.
A report by the European Commission's Northern Ireland Task Force shows "Northern Ireland's economy is on the mend and has performed very well over recent years compared to the rest of the UK and to Europe as a whole," the Commission said in a statement.
"But the difficult times of the past appear to have left scars," it added, with the task force citing high unemployment and a "relatively wide educational gap" between high-performing students and those emerging with poor or no qualifications.
Northern Ireland, part of Britain but linked historically and geographically to the Republic of Ireland to the south, is also suffering from "a past of underinvestment in infrastructure, a dependence on the public sector ... and low levels of investment in new technologies."
EU Commissioner for Regional Policy Danuta Hubner said: "With peace and stability comes confidence, leading to new investment and new jobs. I am delighted that Northern Ireland's leaders were quick to draw the conclusion that there is an important European dimension to building prosperity."
The EU task force's job is to help Northern Ireland authorities to identify European policy initiatives and programmes which could to help support the region's economy.
In its report, it provides a long list of "leads" for the Northern Ireland authorities to follow up, including increasing the region's participation in research and development projects under an EU programme, engaging in more student exchange programmes and exchanging staff between the European Commission and the Northern Ireland administration.
Another possibility highlighted is to use the European Investment Fund to develop Northern Ireland's risk capital sector and encourage small businesses to flourish.
"It is today very difficult for a small region, on the periphery of Europe, to make the qualitative leap necessary to become a leading economic region on its own," the EU's executive arm said in its statement.
A spokeswoman for Hubner said tourism could also be boosted.
Another possibility being looked at by Northern Ireland authorities to turn to advantage the decades of deadly strife between their Catholic and Protestant communities, is to set up some kind of facility to share with other countries and regions that experience of bringing peace and ending conflict.
Hardline Nationalists in the Irish Republican Army and beyond sought for decades to unite the island of Ireland while Protestant militants pledged loyalty to Britain.
The historic Good Friday Agreement of April 1998, which eventually helped the two communities reach agreement on power-sharing, came into effect in Northern Ireland last year.