PURPOSE: to continue the territorial cooperation programmes PEACE IV in Northern Ireland until the end of 2020, in the absence of an agreement for the United Kingdom to withdraw from the European Union.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Regulation (EU) 2019/491 of the European Parliament and of the Council in order to allow for the continuation of the territorial cooperation programmes PEACE IV (Ireland-United Kingdom) and United Kingdom-Ireland (Ireland-Northern Ireland-Scotland) in the context of the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union.

CONTENT: the Regulation lays down provisions to remedy the consequences of the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the Union in the absence of a withdrawal agreement with a view to pursuing two cooperation programmes covered by Regulation (EU) No 1299/2013 and involving the United Kingdom: (1) PEACE IV (Ireland - United Kingdom) and (2) United Kingdom - Ireland (Ireland - Northern Ireland - Scotland).

These two programmes concern Northern Ireland and support peace and reconciliation and North-South cooperation within the framework of the Northern Ireland Peace Agreement, the so-called Good Friday Agreement.

Cooperation programmes may cover participating regions in the United Kingdom, which are equivalent to NUTS level 3 regions.

The application of the rules regarding the controls and audit of the cooperation programmes shall be agreed between the Commission and the authorities of the United Kingdom. The controls and audits shall cover the entire period of the cooperation programmes. If such controls and audits cannot be carried out, the Commission may interrupt payment deadlines, suspend payments and apply financial corrections.

In the event that these controls and audits cannot be carried out, the Commission may interrupt payment deadlines, suspend payments and apply financial corrections.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 28.3.2019. The Regulation shall apply from the day following that on which the Treaties cease to apply to the United Kingdom pursuant to Article 50(3) of the TEU.

Regulation 2019/491
OJ L 085I 27.03.2019, p. 0001

00012/2019/LEX

Results of vote in Parliament

The European Parliament adopted by 624 votes to 13, with 24 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council in order to allow for the continuation of the territorial cooperation programmes PEACE IV (Ireland-United Kingdom) and United Kingdom-Ireland (Ireland-Northern Ireland-Scotland) in the context of the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union.

The European Parliament adopted its position at first reading following the ordinary legislative procedure, taking over the Commission proposal.

The proposal aims to allow the continuation of the European cross-border cohesion programmes between Ireland and Northern Ireland (PEACE IV and United Kingdom - Ireland), at least until the end of the current programming period (2014-2020) in the event that the United Kingdom has to leave the Union without agreement.

The EU wishes to continue these two cooperation programmes financed by the general budget of the Union which concern Northern Ireland and which support peace and reconciliation and North-South cooperation within the framework of the Northern Ireland Peace Agreement ('Good Friday Agreement'), even if the United Kingdom withdraws from the Union without any withdrawal agreement having entered into force by the date on which the Treaties cease to apply to the United Kingdom.

Regulation (EU) No 1299/2013 shall continue to apply to cooperation programmes covered by the provisions of the proposed Regulation.

By way of derogation from Article 21(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1299/2013:

- the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) hosting the managing authority and the certifying authority of the cooperation programmes shall continue to exercise its functions;

- the Department of Finance of Northern Ireland shall remain the audit authority of the cooperation programmes

The application of the rules regarding the controls and audit of the cooperation programmes shall be agreed between the Commission and the authorities of the United Kingdom. The controls and audits shall cover the entire period of the cooperation programmes.

T8-0166/2019

COM(2018)0892

COM(2018)0892

CES0492/2019

The Committee on Regional Development adopted the report by Iskra MIHAYLOVA (ALDE, BG) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council in order to allow for the continuation of the territorial cooperation programmes PEACE IV (Ireland-United Kingdom) and United Kingdom-Ireland (Ireland-Northern Ireland-Scotland) in the context of the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union.

The committee responsible recommended that the European Parliament adopt its position at first reading, taking over the Commission proposal.

The United Kingdom is due to withdraw from the European Union from 30 March 2019 in accordance with the procedure set out by Article 50 TEU. A withdrawal treaty has been negotiated that would deal with many practical and legal problems during the transitional period.

In the event of the withdrawal of the United Kingdom without an agreement, one key step the EU can take is to provide for a derogation allowing the continuation of the PEACE IV and United Kingdom-Ireland cooperation programmes, which play an important part in building positive cross-border and cross-community relations.

The Commission's proposal under consideration aims to allow these two programmes to continue at least until the end of the current programming period (2014-2020).

A8-0021/2019

PURPOSE: to continue the territorial cooperation programmes PEACE IV in Northern Ireland until the end of 2020, in the absence of an agreement for the United Kingdom to withdraw from the European Union.

PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure on an equal footing with the Council.

BACKGROUND: on 13 December 2018, the European Council (Article 50) renewed its call to intensify work on preparing, at all levels, for the consequences of the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the Union, taking into account all possible outcomes.

In response to this call, this Regulation is part of a package of emergency measures proposed by the Commission in view of the uncertainty in the United Kingdom regarding the ratification of the withdrawal agreement.

The withdrawal shall occur during the programming period 2014-2020 in which the United Kingdom is participating in fifteen programmes under the European territorial cooperation goal ('cooperation programmes').

Two of those programmes are programmes involving Northern Ireland and supporting peace and reconciliation and North-South cooperation under the ‘Good Friday Agreement’ that the Union intends to continue even if the United Kingdom withdraws from the Union without a withdrawal agreement having entered into force by the date the Treaties cease to apply to and in the United Kingdom.

CONTENT: this proposal aims to ensure the continuation of two bilateral cooperation programmes involving Ireland namely: (i) the PEACE IV (Ireland-United Kingdom) programme and; (ii) the United Kingdom-Ireland (Ireland-Northern Ireland-Scotland) programme.

Regulation (EU) No 1299/2013 shall continue to apply to the cooperation programmes subject to the provisions of this Regulation. By way of derogation from Regulation (EU) No 1299/2013:

- the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) hosting the managing authority and the certifying authority of the PEACE IV (Ireland-United Kingdom) and the United Kingdom - Ireland (Ireland-Northern Ireland-Scotland) Programmes shall continue to exercise its functions;

- the Department of Finance of Northern Ireland shall remain the audit authority of these programmes.

The Regulation shall apply from the date following the date on which the Treaties cease to apply to and in the United Kingdom. It shall not apply if a withdrawal agreement concluded with the United Kingdom has entered into force by that date.

BUDGETARY IMPACT: the proposed Regulation has no financial implications. Both programmes shall continue to be financed from the Union’s budget. The possibility to execute the necessary controls and audits in all participating regions will need to be confirmed by an agreement between the Commission and the authorities of the United Kingdom and will constitute a condition for financing.

COM(2018)0892
EUR-Lex