BMW Regional Operational Programme 2000 - 2006

The BMW Regional Operational Programme (BMWROP) 2000-2006 which is financed from the State Budget i.e., National Development Plan (NDP) 2000-2006 and co-financed across four EU structural funds programmes: European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF), European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), European Social Fund (ESF), and the Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG). These programmes aimed to reduce the disparities that exist between the BMW Region and the S&E Region with the objective of achieving balanced regional development.

The BMWROP provided for an investment of €4.09bn with the EU contributing €421m from the four structural funds EAGGF, ERDF, ESF and FIFG.  It sets out strategic investment in four priority areas: (i) Local Infrastructure; (ii) Enterprise Development; (iii) Agriculture and Rural Development; and (iv) Social Inclusion and Childcare.

BMW Regional Operational Programme 2007 - 2013

Natural Effects Declaration and New Structural Funds Status for the BMW Region
Councillor Connie Hanniffy, Chairperson of the BMW Regional Assembly signed a declaration, along with nine other EU Regions calling on the European Commission to continue to provide transitional EU funding from the Objective 1 budget, to regions like the BMW Region that were scheduled to lose their Objective 1 status post 2006 due to their own economic development. The Natural Effects regions argued that they still required basic infrastructure and social infrastructure development. The declaration was signed in Brussels in September 29th 2004.

This was ultimately a successful campaign by the regions affected and contributed to the BMW Region receiving a higher level of grant aid for the 2007-2013 period than would otherwise have been the case in light of the much improved economic conditions at that time in Ireland. The BMW Region was designated as an Objective 2 ‘phasing in’ region under the Regional Competitiveness and Employment Strand.