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About Irish Regions European Office

The Irish Regions European Office (IREO) is a specialised support service which acts as a bridge between Irish local and regional government and the European Union, explaining and guiding its stakeholders through the Brussels scene and promoting Irish interests and best practices at the European level.

Who we are

The Irish Regions European Office is based in Brussels and represents the three Regional Assemblies and 31 local authorities of Ireland.

Operating as part of the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly and with the support of the Department for Housing, Planning and Local Government, our focus is on bringing the EU closer to the wider local government sector and vice versa.

Location

Irish Regions European Office
5th Floor
Rue Froissart 50
B-1040 Bruxelles

+32 (0) 2 2331122

info@ireo.eu

What we do

IREO has four main functions by which it seeks to provide timely and relevant guidance and advisory services to stakeholders in order to inform and facilitate their individual and collective understanding of and engagement in European activities:

  • Policy – to monitor and report on relevant EU policy developments and enable input into the policy-making process where possible.
  • Committee of the Regions – to provide the secretariat to the Irish delegation to the Committee of the Regions and to work to enhance the strategic linkages between their activities and the priorities of Irish local and regional government.
  • Funding and financing – to highlight opportunities and assist with the development of quality involvement in EU funding programmes and initiatives.
  • Networking – to represent our stakeholders’ interests by identifying and engaging with decision-makers and by participating in collaborative value-added activity including relevant European networks, associations and partnerships.

Being based in Brussels gives us a practical advantage and enables us to:

  • Pinpoint contacts and identify relevant decision-makers.
  • Open doors and engage with key Institutional interlocutors in the European Commission, the European Parliament and Ireland’s Permanent Representation
  • Organise targeted study visits for our stakeholders
    Network and build alliance with other European local and regional authorities and European associations (CPMR, ERRIN…).
  • Represent our stakeholders’ interests at working/advisory groups, thematic and regional fora and project meetings.

Role of Regional Assemblies

Following on from the enactment of the Local Government Reform Act 2014, three new Regional Assemblies came into effect on 1st January 2015, namely the Southern Regional Assembly, the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly and the Northern & Western Regional Assembly.

The Northern and Western Regional Assembly and the Southern Assembly together with the Eastern and Midlands Regional Assembly are managing authorities for the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), managing the respective Regional Operational Programmes for 2021-2027. All three Regional Assemblies also provide national contact points for European Territorial Cooperation Programmes and participate on those programmes’ monitoring committees.

Other key duties of the assemblies are to:

  • Co-ordinate, promote and support strategic planning and sustainable development of the region
  • Prepare, adopt and implement the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies (RSES).
  • Ensure consistency with RSES in relation to the Local Economic and Community Plans of the constituent Local Authorities.
  • Identify, participate in and co-ordinate certain EU projects.
  • Support the work of the National Oversight and Audit Commission.

Who we do this for

Regional AssembliesLocal AuthoritiesThe Irish delegation to the CoR

The three Regional Assemblies’ staff and elected representatives

The 31 Irish Local Authorities’ staff and elected representatives

 

The Irish delegation to the CoR

Meet the team

Teresa Lennon

Teresa Lennon

Head of the Irish Regions European Office
Agata Kolodynska

Agata Kolodynska

EU Support Officer

Latest

Tweets

That marks the end of the April Committee of the Regions, thanks for joining us for the past couple of days! 🙌🏻

Retweet on TwitterIrish Regions European Office in Brussels Retweeted

Pleased Cork and Dublin have been selected by @EU_Commission as #MissionCities
for the Climate-Neutral Smart Cities Mission 2030.

They will be among 100 cities supported as trailblazers to accelerate their green and digital transformation.

Watch: https://bit.ly/3xTPSAy

For those wondering it’s from @ABBA’s 2021 album Voyage!

Cllr. Kieran McCarthy (@cllrkmac) makes a warmly welcomed contribution to the debate on European democratic values when he quotes @ABBA’s Ode to Joy:

“I would like to think that freedom is
More than just a word
In the grand and lofty language
Odes to freedom often go unheard”

Follow a live stream 📺 of today’s plenary proceedings below 👇🏻

Day 2 of the April European Committee of the Regions Plenary starts with a debate on “Promoting European Democratic Values Through Education to Foster EU Citizenship” 🇪🇺🗳👩🏻‍🏫

Day 2 of the April Plenary starting now!

A considered contribution from Cllr Una Power (@unapower) during the “Towards a socially fair implementation of the Green Deal” opinion.

Cllr Power speaking to a socially fair Green Deal notes that “by lifting up those most at risk we protect those most vulnerable communities”

Both Cllr. Michael Murphy (@cllrmmurphytipp) and Cllr. Kieran McCarthy’s (@cllrkmac) opinions are adopted by the Committee of the Regions!

Big congratulations to both of them! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Cllr. Kieran McCarthy delivered an exciting and engaging presentation on his opinion “New European Bauhaus- Beautiful, Sustainable, Together” 🏠

The opinion is a response to Commission President Von der Leyden’s communication.

The opinion calls for greater recognition of LRAs

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POLICY

The European Union adopts legislation in a number of areas that have a direct impact on Member States and on local and regional authorities.

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COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

Established in 1994, the Committee of the Regions (CoR) is an EU advisory body composed of 350 local and regional elected representatives.

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FUNDING & FINANCING

To help achieve its various policy objectives, the European Union provides financial support for activities to be undertaken by organisations, including local and regional authorities.

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NETWORKING & EVENTS

One of the four key functions of the Irish Regions European Office is to enable local and regional actors to make the most of having their own permanent physical presence at the heart of Europe with all that entails in terms of tapping into useful connections.

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