UUP Leader welcomes Baroso’s Task Force Commitment on Infrastructure Deficit
UUP Leader Sir Reg Empey today had a meeting with President of the European Commission Mr Baroso.
Speaking after the meeting, Sir Reg said,
“I took the opportunity to thank Mr Baroso for all the help and support given by the EU to Northern Ireland over the years through PEACE and other programmes. These programmes have been of enormous benefit to the Country.
I did however point out our infrastructure deficit and I believe that a mini Cohesion Fund * would go some way to resolve to resolve our deficit.
In response President Baroso said that Northern Ireland’s allocation from the EU had already been set until 2013 but that he was anxious to help and would establish a task force specifically to work through ideas on how this idea could be extrapolated in the future.
Mr Baroso also pointed out that Northern Ireland has access to European Research and Development Funds that are currently not allocated to specific countries. Responding to this I indicated that this was very positive and I would be urgently taking a look at these funds as they would fall under my Ministerial remit.”