The PEACE PLUS Programme (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2023

Citation, commencement and extent

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the PEACE PLUS Programme (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2023.

(2) They come into force on 18th May 2023.

(3) They extend to Northern Ireland.

Amendment of the North/South Co-operation (Implementation Bodies) (Northern Ireland) Order 1999

2.—(1) The North/South Co-operation (Implementation Bodies) (Northern Ireland) Order 1999((1) is amended as follows.

(2) After article 14 (implementation body for special EU programmes), insert—

“Implementation of PEACE PLUS

14A.— (1) This article applies during the period beginning with the day on which the Financing Agreement(2) enters into force and ending with 1st July 2032.

(2) The Body has—

(a) the functions of the managing authority, and

(b) the accounting function.

(3) When exercising the functions referred to in paragraph (2), the Body must comply with—

(a) the EU instruments listed in Part 1 of Schedule 4A (basic acts) including as amended or replaced from time to time, to the extent they are relevant to the programme,

(b) the EU instruments listed in Part 2 of Schedule 4A (relevant delegated and implementing acts),

(c) any EU instrument which enters into force after the making of the PEACE PLUS Programme (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2023 and which supplements or implements an EU instrument listed in Part 1 of Schedule 4A, to the extent that instrument is relevant to the programme, and

(d) the terms of the Financing Agreement, including as amended from time to time.

(4) Before entering into a grant agreement with a beneficiary, the Body must ensure the terms of that agreement—

(a) require the beneficiary to comply with the requirements of Article 6.3(2) of the Financing Agreement (which relate to visibility, communication and transparency activities),

(b) meet the requirements of Article 11.3 of the Financing Agreement (which relate to certain intellectual property rights), and

(c) meet the requirements of Article 11.4 of the Financing Agreement (which relate to the retention and availability of documents).

(5) In this article—

“accounting function” has the meaning given by Article 76 of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund Plus, the Cohesion Fund, the Just Transition Fund and the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and financial rules for those and for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, the Internal Security Fund and the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy (“Regulation (EU) 2021/1060”)(3);

“beneficiary” has the meaning given by Article 2(9) of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060;

“Financing Agreement” means the Financing Agreement between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Ireland and the European Commission on the PEACE PLUS Programme 2021-2027, done in Brussels on the 13th and 15th March 2023(4);

“functions of the managing authority” mean those functions conferred on the managing authority by—

(a)

the EU instruments listed in Part 1 of Schedule 4A, including as amended or replaced from time to time, and

(b)

the Financing Agreement, including as amended from time to time;

“grant agreement” means a document setting out the conditions for support in accordance with Article 22(6) of Regulation (EU) 2021/1059 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 on specific provisions for the European territorial cooperation goal (Interreg) supported by the European Regional Development Fund and external financing instruments (“Regulation (EU) 2021/1059”)(5);

“programme” means the Interreg cross-border cooperation programme PEACE PLUS for the programming period 2021 to 2027, as approved by Commission Implementing Decision C(2022) 4931 of 8 July 2022(6), including as amended from time to time in accordance with Article 19 of Regulation (EU) 2021/1059.”.

(3) After Schedule 4 (supplementary and transitional provisions in connection with the transfer of functions to Waterways Ireland), insert Schedule 4A as set out in the Schedule.

Functions of the Northern Ireland Department of Finance in relation to PEACE PLUS

3.—(1) This regulation applies during the period beginning with the day on which the Financing Agreement(7) enters into force and ending with 1st July 2032.

(2) The Department has the functions of the national authority for the purposes of the Financing Agreement (as set out in Articles 7.2 and 10.3 of the Financing Agreement).

(3) The Department must act as the United Kingdom’s representative in the group of auditors (in accordance with Article 7.6 of the Financing Agreement).

(4) In this regulation—

“Financing Agreement” means the Financing Agreement between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Ireland and the European Commission on the PEACE PLUS Programme 2021-2027, done in Brussels on the 13th and 15th March 2023;

“Department” means the Northern Ireland Department of Finance;

“group of auditors” has the meaning given by Article 7.6(2) of the Agreement;

“programme” means the Interreg cross-border cooperation programme PEACE PLUS for the programming period 2021 to 2027, as approved by Commission Implementing Decision C(2022) 4931 of 8 July 2022, including as amended from time to time in accordance with Article 19 of Regulation (EU) 2021/1059 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 on specific provisions for the European territorial cooperation goal (Interreg) supported by the European Regional Development Fund and external financing instruments.

Steve Baker

Minister of State

Northern Ireland Office

26th April 2023