British–Irish Council
Intergovernmental body fostering collaboration across the British Isles.
via Wikipedia: British–Irish Council · see source
The British–Irish Council (BIC; Comhairle na Breataine–na hÉireann, Cyngor Prydeinig-Gwyddelig) is an intergovernmental organisation that aims to improve collaboration between its members in a number of areas including transport, the environment and energy. Its membership comprises the governments of Ireland, the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man. The British and Irish governments, and political parties in Northern Ireland, agreed to form a council under the British–Irish Agreement, part of the Good Friday Agreement reached in 1998. The council was formally established on 2 December 1999, when the Agreement came into effect. The council's stated aim is to "promote the harmonious and mutually beneficial development of the totality of relationships among the peoples of these islands".
Quick Facts
- Founders
- Ireland, United Kingdom
- Formation
- 2 December 1999
- Purpose
- "Promoting positive
- practical
- relations... between the people of these islands."
- Headquarters
- Edinburgh, Scotland (secretariat)
- Abbreviation
- BIC
- Region served
- British Isles
- Members
- Ireland
- United Kingdom
- Scotland
- Wales
- Northern Ireland
- Guernsey
- Isle of Man
- Jersey
- Cornwall (advisor)
Facts from the source article.
Background
The agreement mandated a political organisation to foster greater cooperation between the UK and Irish governments and later the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The Multi-Party agreement formally took effect on 2 December 1999. The first heads of administrations summit occurred on 17 December 1999, hosted by the United Kingdom and Prime Minister Tony Blair in London. The St. Andrews Agreement of 2006 provided for a permanent secretariat, which was established in Edinburgh in January 2012 after a 2010 summit in Guernsey agreed that the Scottish Government would host it. In 2023, summits in Jersey and Ireland marked twenty-five years since the Good Friday Agreement, and the 42nd summit in Scotland in December 2024 marked twenty-five years since the council's inaugural meeting.
Overview and structure
The nine heads of government meet twice yearly at summits, with additional ministerial meetings for specific sectors. Members operate according to their own democratic procedures. England, lacking a devolved administration, is represented solely as part of the United Kingdom; Cornwall holds observer status due to its language but is also represented by the UK government. The council's work is financed by members as mutually agreed. At the ninth meeting in July 2007, with devolved government restored in Northern Ireland, a strategic review of work programmes and support arrangements was decided, including the potential for a permanent secretariat, which opened in Edinburgh on 4 January 2012.
Work areas
The council selects work areas for which individual members take responsibility, as suggested by the Belfast Agreement, including transport, agriculture, environment, culture, health, education, and European Union approaches. These areas may be expanded or reduced by consensus, and members may opt out of implementing common policies. Current work areas and responsible members include: collaborative spatial planning (Northern Ireland), demography (Scotland), digital inclusion (Isle of Man), early years policy (Wales), energy (United Kingdom for electricity grids, Scotland for marine), environment (United Kingdom), housing (Northern Ireland), indigenous and minority languages (Wales), misuse of substances (Ireland), social inclusion (Scotland and Wales), transport (Northern Ireland), and creative industries (Jersey). Demography became a work area in 2006, proposed by the Scottish Executive; energy was added in 2007. Past areas include knowledge economy, e-health/telemedicine, and tourism.
Name of the Council
Initial suggestions included Council of the British Isles or Council of the Isles, but due to sensitivities around the term British Isles, particularly in Ireland, the name British–Irish Council was agreed. The council's official name is represented in minority and lesser-used languages, including Konsel Predennek-Iwerdhonek, Guernésiais: Conseil Britannique-Irlàndais, Comhairle na Breataine-na hÉireann, Jèrriais: Coonceil Ghoaldagh-Yernagh, Comhairle Bhreatainn-Èirinn, Brits-Airis Cooncil, Ulster-Scots: Britisch-Airisch Cooncil, and Cyngor Prydeinig-Gwyddelig.
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