The government has stepped in at the 11th hour with an additional £250m in funding to help pay for the UK’s association with Horizon Europe, the European Union’s funding programme for research and innovation.

Universities welcomed the move as “a significant affirmation of the government’s belief in research” which would avert the immediate threat to UK science.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has called for a “reset” of the relationship between the EU and the UK to resolve issues stemming from the Northern Ireland Protocol.

                                                    <p class="no_name">The Taoiseach lamented the deterioration of diplomatic relations between the bloc and the UK following rows over Brexit and the supply of Covid-19 vaccines.</p>
                                                    <p class="no_name">The Northern Ireland Protocol, designed to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland post-Brexit, has caused unrest among both unionists and loyalists, who have called for it to be scrapped.</p>
                                                    <p class="no_name">In an interview with the Financial Times, Mr Martin said he has told the EU the bloc’s relationship must be “constructive”.</p>
                                                    <p class="no_name">He said: “I think we need to reset the relationship.</p>
                                                    <p class="no_name">“I’ve made it very clear to our <a class="search" href="/topics/topics-7.1213540?article=true&amp;tag_organisation=European+Union">European Union</a> partners that the British-Irish relationship is a unique one, historically rooted.</p>
                                                    <h4 class="crosshead">‘Joint custodians’</h4><p class="no_name">“We’re both joint custodians of the (Good Friday) Agreement and nothing can come between us in respect of making sure that we work constructively together.</p>
                                                                                                                                                                                        <p class="no_name">“That’s our aim and our objective as a Government – to maintain a constructive relationship with Britain.”</p>
                                                    <p class="no_name">The Taoiseach said he has argued that “the only future has to be a constructive UK-EU relationship”.</p>
                                                    <p class="no_name">The relationship, already damaged by Brexit, deteriorated further due to the EU’s brief suspension of the Northern Ireland Protocol in a row over vaccines.</p>
                                                    <p class="no_name">The UK also suspended elements of the protocol unilaterally, by suspending customs checks on goods travelling between Britain and Northern Ireland, a move dubbed “silly” by the Taoiseach.</p>
                                                    <p class="no_name">The premier said the EU has already done a lot to “facilitate the uniqueness” of the protocol, but acknowledged there is “work to be done... to see what we can fine-tune”.</p>
                                                    <h4 class="crosshead">Tackle</h4><p class="no_name">He called for the use of special committees to tackle difficulties arising from the protocol, which have been provided for under the Withdrawal Agreement.</p>

                                                    <p class="no_name">He said: “We’ve got to try to work those committees to see, can we deal with those issues and make life as easy as possible for businesses.”</p>
                                                    <p class="no_name">Despite these setbacks, the Taoiseach believes the relationship can get back on track.</p>
                                                    <p class="no_name">“I think it makes sense for Britain that it really works on its relationship with the EU. The EU is ready to engage,” he said.</p>
                                                    <p class="no_name">He told the paper that UK officials have been more constructive in recent weeks.</p>
                                                    <p class="no_name">The move towards a “win-win” deal on the supply of Covid-19 vaccines across <a class="search" href="/topics/topics-7.1213540?article=true&amp;tag_location=Europe">Europe</a> and the UK is a “very important” sign, he added. –PA</p>

ESMA closed for Easter Holidays 1, 2 and 5 April

Member States of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) are set to benefit from the implementation of two European Union (EU) funded projects: The Biodiversity Support Programme for ACP Coastal Environments (BioSPACE) and the Integrated Landscape Approaches and Investments in Sustainable Land Management in the OECS (ILM).

BioSPACE contributes to the sustainable development of Small Island Developing States and coastal countries within the African Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP).  It also supports the SAMOA Pathway through improving the management and sustainable use of coastal and marine resources.

The ILM project, which complements BioSPACE and officially commenced in 2020, aims to optimize the contribution of land to agriculture, food security, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and the preservation of ecosystems and the essential services they provide. The project will contribute to climate-smart and sustainable agriculture farming systems and enhancement of cross-sector approaches to land use planning and management.  It will also support National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans. In addition, it will contribute to curbing deforestation and forest degradation by reducing deforestation and forest degradation emissions, and strengthen ecosystem management in general.

The first joint Project Steering Committee Meeting of the OECS Environmental Sustainability Division for the BioSPACE and ILM projects was held on 10 March 2021, with key decision-makers within the sector along with officials of the OECS Commission and the EU participating.

Addressing the virtual meeting participants, Director General of the OECS, Dr. Didacus Jules, highlighted the importance of these projects to the sustainability of the Caribbean Region’s ecosystems.

He noted that, “One must bear in mind that in many instances, biodiversity and diverse ecosystems contribute to our social well being and our economic prosperity through the services they provide. Consider further that the loss of such diversity in nature because of the impacts of climate change and other natural and human induced hazards threatens the existence of flora and fauna species and causes loss of ecosystem functions.”  He added that, “The Caribbean, has been identified as one of the 34 top global biodiversity hotspots due to the real threats of biodiversity loss and extinction and given the unique flora and fauna of the region.

This means that urgent measures must be employed to mitigate further loss of biodiversity treasure” EU Ambassador to Barbados, The Eastern Caribbean States, the OECS and CARICOM/CARIFORUM, Małgorzata Wasilewska, emphasized the importance of such initiatives, giving a stark reminder that, “When scientific studies tell us that we have wiped out 60% of the planet’s biodiversity during the last 50 years only, this should be more than a wake up call.” However, she reminded that, “There is hope, but to keep this hope alive, any effort counts – at personal local, national or global level.”
In underlining the EU continued championing of climate change action and adaptation in the Caribbean Region, its strong partnership with the OECS, Ambassador Wasilewska reaffirmed,

“The European Union continues to trust the good work of the OECS and it renewed commitment, through projects such as these, to ensure an even more resilient region. These two projects are well transmitting our message, whether you consider your countries, as being small island states or large ocean states, we need to do a lot of work to preserve them. The European Union is a trustful partner to count on in this endeavour.

The Biodiversity Support Programme for ACP Coastal Environments (BioSPACE) and the Integrated Landscape Approaches and Investments in Sustainable Land Management in the OECS (ILM) will run for five years.