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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.

Both the Southern Assembly and the Northern and Western Regional Assembly are managing authorities for the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), managing respectively the Southern and Eastern Regional Operational Programme 2014-2020 and the Border, Midland and Western Regional Operational Programme 2014-2020. 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

Retweet on TwitterIrish Regions European Office in Brussels Retweeted

ENCORE 2021: REMINDER May 18th Climate Action Workshop - https://mailchi.mp/77edd361b603/newsletter2encore-10233804 Register here: https://abbey.eventsair.com/encore-2021/registration-form/Site/Register

Retweet on TwitterIrish Regions European Office in Brussels Retweeted

#EuropeDay "@EU_CoR has the institutional weight, accuracy, experience, passion, wisdom, sincerity and the connection tools to make the wider Conference on the #FutureOfEurope work" says @cllrkmac at the #CoFoE launching event with @EvaMaydell @SiljaMarkkula

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Retweet on TwitterIrish Regions European Office in Brussels Retweeted

“Hard work must be done to have political representation at all level that reflects a modern and diverse Europe” @unapower for @Greens_CoR debating on the Conference on the #FutureOfEurope

Retweet on TwitterIrish Regions European Office in Brussels Retweeted

Cllr Declan McDonnell proposing to pilot a @EU_CoR led pan-European network for channeling and organizing citizens dialogue at at the Conference on the #FutureOfEurope during CoR plenary debate with President Herman Van Rompuy

Cllr Declan McDonnell proposing to pilot a @EU_CoR led pan-European network for channeling and organizing citizens dialogue at at the Conference on the #FutureOfEurope during CoR plenary debate with President Herman Van Rompuy

“Hard work must be done to have political representation at all level that reflects a modern and diverse Europe” @unapower for @Greens_CoR debating on the Conference on the #FutureOfEurope

Cllr Gillian Coughlan presenting her opinion on Digital Edication Action Plan 21-27; setting out important factors to improve digitalisation in the education sector in EU, especially in the aftermath of the pandemic. ‘Education empowers progress’ @EU_CoR @RenewEuropeCoR

Great discussions underway at @EU_CoR Plenary from #UnionOfEquality, EU Health Union, achieving climate neutrality, through to #digitalisation and EU Digital Education Action Plan; debates now chaired by @cllrmmurphytipp, Head of the Irish Delegation at the CoR.

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Retweet on TwitterIrish Regions European Office in Brussels Retweeted

.@EU_CoR plenary debate on #UnionOfEquality with @helenadalli: Cllr Declan McDonnell saying that progress on #EUDisabilityRights has been quite poor and that needs to change. We must ensure that funding goes to end users rather than to bureaucratic governance #CoRPlenary

Retweet on TwitterIrish Regions European Office in Brussels Retweeted

This perfectly states the benefits @CorkHealthyCity acquired on the @PlayfulParadigm network! Now other Irish towns & cities can benefit by being part of Ireland's National Practice Transfer Initiative! Apply here: https://urbact.eu/new-urbact-opportunity-open-call-irish-towns-and-cities-join-irish-national-practice-transfer @IrishRegions_EU https://twitter.com/PlayfulParadigm/status/1387324467546927104

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