Vol. 455 No. 1
38 Mr. B. Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the progress, if any, which has been made regarding the European Union initiative for peace and reconciliation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11718/95]
The European Commission adopted guidelines in respect of the European Union's special support programme for Peace and Reconciliation — the PEACE Initiative — on 16 May.
On 5 June, the Irish and British Governments submitted a draft joint Operational Programme for the Initiative to the Commission. Consultations on this draft are currently under way. It is hoped that the Operational Programme can be adopted by the Commission before the summer break.
Once this has happened, interested groups will be invited to submit applications for funding under the various measures covered by the Programme. The two Governments and the Commission wish to ensure that funding can reach groups on the ground in Northern Ireland and the Border counties at the earliest opportunity.
