British-Irish Council
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The British-Irish Council (BIC) is a body created by the Belfast Agreement in 1998, and formally established on 2 December 1999 on the entry into force of the consequent legislation. Its membership includes representatives from the governments of Ireland; the United Kingdom and three of its constituent countries: Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales; and the three Crown dependencies: Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man. Its stated aim is to "promote the harmonious and mutually beneficial development of the totality of relationships among the peoples of these islands". Due to the constitutional status of England, which does not have a devolved government, it is not represented on the Council as a separate entity.[1] Should that change, provisions exist that would allow England to be represented in future.[2]
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[edit] Membership and operation
Membership of the Council consists of the following governments (with current head of government, as of July 2007):
The council meets in two formats. The eight heads of government meet in two Council summits per year. Additionally, there are regular meetings that deal with specific sectors of discussion and are attended by the corresponding ministers. The work of the Council is financed by members through mutual agreement as required, and a secretariat is provided by the UK and Irish governments in co-ordination with officials of each of the other members.[4] Representatives of members will operate in accordance with whatever procedures for democratic authority and accountability are in force in their respective elected legislatures.
At the ninth meeting of the Council, it was decided that with devolved government returned to Northern Ireland that an opportune time existed "to undertake a strategic review of the Council’s work programmes, working methods and support arrangements." This decision including the potential for a permanent standing secretariat. It was agreed that this review should return its results as soon as possible.
[edit] Work areas
The council agrees to specific work areas for which individual members take responsibility. The Belfast Agreement suggested transport links, agriculture, environmental issues, culture, health, education and approaches to the European Union as suitable topics for early discussion. These work areas can be expanded or reduced as the Council decides. It is also open to the Council to make agreement on common policies. These agreements are made through consensus, although individual members may opt not to participate in implementing these. The current list of work areas and the member responsible are:
- Demography - Scotland
- eHealth - Isle of Man
- Environment - United Kingdom
- Indigenous, minority and lesser-used languages - Wales
- Knowledge economy - Jersey
- Misuse of drugs - Ireland
- Social inclusion - Scotland and Wales (jointly)
- Tourism - Guernsey
- Transport - Northern Ireland
Demography was adopted as a work area at the 2006 meeting of the Council. It was proposed by the Scottish Executive, who also took responsibility for it. During the 2007 meeting of the Council the Scottish Government further proposed that energy become a work area of the Council and offered again to lead the area. No decision will be reached on whether to add energy as a work area or who should take responsibility for it until after the strategic review returned its findings.
[edit] Name of the Council
The official name of the Council is the British-Irish Council. Some refer to it as the Council of the Isles[5] or even as the Council of the British Isles or the British Isles Council.[6][7] Particularly in Northern Ireland, use of the latter unofficial names tends to signify that a speaker is a unionist as the terms British Isles or simply Isles can be interpreted as being politically loaded.
In represented minority and lesser-used languages the council is known as:
- Guernésiais: Conseil Britannique-Irlàndais
- Irish: Comhairle na Breataine-na hÉireann
- Jèrriais: Conseil Britannique-Irlandais
- Manx: Coonceil Ghoaldagh-Yernagh
- Scottish Gaelic: Comhairle Bhreatainn-Èirinn
- Scots: Britisch-Airisch Cooncil
- Welsh: Cyngor Prydain-Iwerddon
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ See Vernon Bogdanor, 'The British–Irish Council and Devolution', in Government and Opposition: An International Journal of Comparative Politics, volume 34, issue 3, July 1999, pp.291-295.
- ^ Vernon Bogdanor, The British-Irish Council, BBC Learning.
- ^ The First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland is a diarchy. While other members of the organization are represented at Summit Meetings by their respective chief ministers, or on occasions have sent their deputies, Northern Ireland is represented by both the First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland working in unity. The website of the British-Irish Council describes the heads of government of Northern Ireland as follows: "The Assembly has elected, on a cross-community basis, a First Minister and a Deputy First Minister who act jointly." See also Paul Carmichael, 2002, "The Northern Ireland Civil Service: Characteristics and Trends Since 1970" in Public Administration, Volume 80 Issue 1 Page 23-49, Spring 2002: "Within this executive, there is a 'synchronised diarchy' (Wilford 1998,. p. 3) whereby the First Minister's position is inextricably linked to that of the Deputy First Minister."
- ^ Belfast Agreement - Strand Three, Articles 8 and 9.
British-Irish Council website, Frequently Asked Questions: Who pays for the British-Irish Council? - ^ Simon Partridge, 2000, The British-Irish Council: the trans-islands symbolic and political possibilities, The British Council
- ^ Welcome to the website of David Trimble MLA
- ^ BBC News | BREAKFAST WITH FROST | Seamus Mallon interview
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