Hanson Launches Northern Ireland's First European Strategy

16 October 2006
HANSON LAUNCHES NORTHERN IRELAND'S FIRST EUROPEAN STRATEGY
Minister for Europe, David Hanson MP, has launched Northern Ireland's first European strategy.
'Taking Our Place in Europe' maps out a framework for Northern Ireland's engagement with Europe.
David Hanson said: "A region's place in Europe is no longer defined by geography, but by how it relates to, and integrates with the broader European community.
"My vision is that Northern Ireland will become a preferred European region of choice for partnership working and within which to live, work, study and invest.
"Northern Ireland is ready to play its part in the expanding, dynamic Europe of the 21st century. We are confident in a world that is more inter-dependent than ever. The regions that will do well in this age of globalisation will be the ones that build the strongest alliances."
Reflecting on networking and partnerships, David Hanson said: "We are not strangers to international co-operation. Over the last three years we have invested Ł6.5 million of Peace Programme funds in building European networks of co-operation between the people of Northern Ireland and continental Europe. In that time, we have created almost 40 international networks."
Commenting on the timeliness of the Strategy, David Hanson said: "As we approach the 50th anniversary of the signing of Europe's founding Treaty of Rome, it is appropriate that Northern Ireland maps out the positive and proactive role it will play in the Europe of the future."
NOTES TO EDITORS:

Media enquiries to OFMDFM Press Office on 028 9052 2659.

'Taking Our Place in Europe' will help Northern Ireland participate appropriately and effectively in European matters, and to benefit fully from that engagement. The strategy is a high level document and much of the detail of implementation, including systems for the evaluation of its activities and measuring effectiveness, will appear in a detailed action plan. Although a considerable amount of the plan's content will originate from regional government, consideration will be given as to how initiatives taken forward by local government and wider civil society can be presented.

The Competitive Cities Conference marks the culmination of a successful two-year networking project between the Belfast Metropolitan Area and the city-regions of Stockholm (Sweden), Valencia (Spain), Vilnius (Lithuania) and Rybnik (Poland).

A copy of 'Taking Our Place in Europe' may be downloaded from the Department's website at http://www.ofmdfmni.gov.uk/european-co-operation

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