Northern Ireland awarded as European Entrepreneurial Region 2015
The president of the Northern Ireland Local Government Association (NILGA), Arnold Hatch, together with Ards Borough's Councillor, Trevor Cummings, received on behalf of Northern Ireland the European Entrepreneurial Region (EER) 2015 label, awarding the best regional strategies aimed at fostering entrepreneurship and promoting innovation among small and medium enterprises.
At the 107th plenary session of the EU Committee of the Regions (CoR), Northern Ireland, together with Lisbon (Portugal) and Valencia (Spain), was awarded by the then President Ramon Luis Valcárcel as 'Entrepreneurial Region of the year' for its strategy to boost entrepreneurship and implement key European policies such as the Small Business Act (SBA) and the Europe 2020 Strategy for growth and jobs.
"Northern Ireland action plan fully takes the current decentralisation process into account and follows therefore a bottom-up approach with municipalities at its centre" said President Valcárcel, adding that "the planned efforts to involve all relevant actors to support business and innovation will count on a wide political backing, including both Republican and Unionist political parties. This gives to the EER a unique added value as an instrument for conciliation, putting growth and prosperity at the first place".
Councillor Trevor Cummings (UK/NA), who is a member of the CoR's Territorial Cohesion Commission, argued that: "Northern Ireland has witnessed massive change for the better over the past ten years. We still require brave political decisions, in the collective interests of our citizens, whereby our prosperity & well being underpin our current stability and our emerging Programme for Government in 2016. The EER Award 2015 is crucial - it challenges those of us who support, invest in and promote local enterprise. It links private business and the social economy with EU, regional and local government. It fulfils so many of the key Programmes and Policies, from the NI Economic Strategy, to European Regional Development, Structural and Social Funds, from peace & reconciliation to subsidiarity .
Alderman Hatch (UK/ECR) added that: “Northern Ireland's entrepreneurs will sustain our economies, whether these are film makers, artisan bakers, micro brewers, bus and coach manufacturers, or medical technology specialists. If we give them support, Northern Ireland has a bright future with jobs, growth and prosperity replacing conflict. EER gives us focus and motivation. Our work plan will be testimony to Northern Ireland’s enterprise and our untiring work ethic. We thank President Ramon Luis Valcarcel Siso i, his officials, our 3 MEPs, fellow CoR members, NILGA and Invest NI".