Overview and Background to the BMW Regional Assembly

European Union Structural Funds to Ireland
Ireland was treated as one single region when receiving funding from the European Union up until 1999. Ireland had been classified an Objective 1 country and designated as one of the regions in the EU most in need of additional support to aid its development. To qualify for Objective 1 status the GDP per capita of a region must be less than 75% of the EU average over a number of reference years. By 2000, Ireland’s GDP had risen above this threshold, however there remained significant differences in the extent of economic development between several regions within the State. In order to address these regional disparities, the country was divided into two regions for EU Structural Funds purposes; the Border, Midland and Western (BMW) Region and the Southern and Eastern (S&E) Region. This designation facilitated the full retention of Objective 1 status in the BMW Region for the period 2000-2006, while the S&E Region became an Objective 1 ‘phasing out’ region.

The geographical area of the BMW Region covers 47% of the landmass of the Republic of Ireland, comprises 27% of the county’s population and encompasses the following 13 counties:

Establishment of the Border, Midland and Western Regional Assembly
The BMW Regional Assembly was established by Government Order on July 21st 1999 with the remit to act as the Managing Authority for EU structural funds in the BMW Region.

The main responsibilities of the BMW Regional Assembly are to:

• Manage the BMW Regional Operational Programmes 2000-2006 and 2007-2013;

• Monitor the general impact of all EU and Irish exchequer-funded programmes in the Border, Midland and Western Region;

• Promote the co-ordination of the provision of public services in the Region; and

• Ensure that national policies take regional issues into account.