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British–Irish Council

The British–Irish Council (BIC; Irish: Comhairle na Breataine–na hÉireann) is an intergovernmental organisation that aims to improve collaboration between its members in a number of areas including transport, the environment and energy.[1] Its membership comprises Ireland, the United Kingdom, the devolved governments of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, in addition to the governments of the British Crown Dependencies: Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man. As England does not have a devolved administration, it is not individually represented on the council but only as a member of the United Kingdom.[2]

British–Irish Council
Comhairle na Breataine–na hÉireann
AbbreviationBIC
Formation2 December 1999; 24 years ago (1999-12-02)
TypeIntergovernmental organisation
HeadquartersEdinburgh, Scotland (secretariat)
Coordinates55°56′45″N 3°13′21″W / 55.94584°N 3.22262°W / 55.94584; -3.22262
Region served
British Isles
Membership
WebsiteOfficial website

The British and Irish governments, and political parties in Northern Ireland, agreed to form a council under the British–Irish Agreement, part of the Good Friday Agreement reached in 1998. The council was formally established on 2 December 1999, when the Agreement came into effect. The council's stated aim is to "promote the harmonious and mutually beneficial development of the totality of relationships among the peoples of these islands". The BIC has a standing secretariat, located in Edinburgh, Scotland; it meets in semi-annual summits and more frequent ministerial meetings.[3]

Overview and structure

The nine heads of government meet at summits twice per year. Additionally, there are regular meetings that deal with specific sectors which are attended by the corresponding ministers. Representatives of members operate in accordance with whatever procedures for democratic authority and accountability are in force in their respective elected legislatures.

England, unlike the other countries of the United Kingdom, is not represented separately, as it does not have its own devolved administration. It is thus solely represented on the council as part of the United Kingdom. Although Cornwall technically holds observer status on the Council due to its language, it is also represented by the UK government.[4][5]

The work of the council is financed by members through mutual agreement as required.[6] At the ninth meeting of the Council in July 2007 it was decided that with devolved government returned to Northern Ireland that an opportune time existed "to undertake a strategic review of the Council's work programmes, working methods and support arrangements." This decision included the potential for a permanent standing secretariat, which was established in Edinburgh, Scotland, on 4 January 2012.

At its June 2010 summit, the Council decided to move forward on recommendations to enhance the relationship between it and the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly (BIPA). The British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly is made up of members from the parliaments and assemblies of the same states and regions as the members of the British–Irish Council. The Council tasked its secretariat with moving this work forward in conjunction with the BIPA's secretariat.

Work areas

A British-Irish Council summit hosted by Scotland at Stirling Castle

The Council agrees to specific work areas for which individual members take responsibility. The Belfast Agreement suggested transport links, agriculture, environmental issues, culture, health, education and approaches to the European Union as suitable topics for early discussion. However, these work areas can be expanded or reduced as the Council decides. It is also open to the council to make agreement on common policies. These agreements are made through consensus, although individual members may opt not to participate in implementing any of these.

The current list of work areas and the member responsible are:

Demography was adopted as a work area at the 2006 meeting of the council. It was proposed by the Scottish Executive, who also took responsibility for it. During the 2007 meeting of the council the Scottish Government further proposed that energy become a work area of the council. Past work sector areas included knowledge economy, e-health / telemedicine and tourism.

Membership and operation

Members and advisors

Member nameSymbolsParliamentMembershipMembership statusRepresented since
ArmsFlag
United Kingdom Parliament of the United Kingdomfullsovereign state1999
Ireland Oireachtas
Scotland Scottish Parliamentdevolved government
Wales Senedd
Northern IrelandNoneNoneNorthern Ireland Assembly
Jersey States Assemblycrown dependency
Isle of Man Tynwald
Guernsey States of Guernsey
Advisor nameSymbolsParliamentAdvisorAdvisor statusRepresented since
ArmsFlag
Cornwall Cornwall CouncilAdvisor on Cornish languageEnglish unitary authority2023 [8]

Current leaders

Membership of the Council consists of the following administrations (with current heads of administrations as of April 2024):

Member AdministrationRepresentative(s)Title
United Kingdom Rishi Sunak MPPrime Minister
Ireland Simon Harris TDTaoiseach
Scotland Humza Yousaf MSPFirst Minister
Wales Vaughan Gething MSFirst Minister
Northern Ireland[a] Michelle O'Neill MLA[9]First Minister
Emma Little-Pengelly MLAdeputy First Minister
Jersey Deputy Lyndon FarnhamChief Minister
Isle of Man Alfred Cannan MHKChief Minister
Guernsey Deputy Lyndon TrottP&RC President

Name of the Council

Initial suggestions for the council included the names Council of the British Isles[10] or Council of the Isles,[11] and the council has sometimes been known by the latter name. However, owing to sensitivities around the term British Isles, particularly in Ireland, the name British–Irish Council was agreed.

The official name of the council is represented in minority and lesser-used languages of the council as:

Summits

NumberDateHostHost leader(s)Location heldCommunique/reference
1st17 December 1999United KingdomTony BlairLondon[1]
2nd30 November 2001IrelandBertie AhernDublin[2]
3rd14 June 2002JerseyPierre HorsfallSaint Helier[3]
4th22 November 2002ScotlandJack McConnellNew Lanark[4]
5th28 November 2003WalesRhodri MorganSt Fagans National History Museum, Cardiff[5]
6th28 November 2004GuernseyLaurie MorganCastle Cornet[6]
7th20 May 2005Isle of ManDonald GellingVilla Marina, Douglas[7]
8th2 June 2006United KingdomJohn PrescottExCeL Conference Centre, London[8]
9th16 July 2007Northern IrelandIan Paisley
Martin McGuinness		Parliament Buildings, Belfast[9]
10th14 February 2008IrelandBertie AhernRoyal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin[10]
11th26 September 2008ScotlandAlex SalmondHopetoun House, South Queensferry[11]
12th20 February 2009WalesRhodri MorganSWALEC Stadium, Cardiff[12]
13th13 November 2009JerseyTerry Le SueurRadisson Hotel, Saint Helier[13]
14th25 June 2010GuernseyLyndon TrottFermain Valley Hotel, Saint Peter Port[14]
15th13 December 2010Isle of ManTony BrownSefton Hotel, Douglas[15]
16th20 June 2011United KingdomNick CleggLancaster House, London[16]
17th13 January 2012IrelandEnda KennyDublin Castle, Dublin[17]
18th22 June 2012ScotlandAlex SalmondStirling Castle, Stirling[18]
19th26 November 2012WalesCarwyn JonesCardiff Castle, Cardiff[19]
20th21 June 2013Northern IrelandPeter Robinson
Martin McGuinness		Magee College, Derry[20]
21st15 November 2013JerseyIan GorstL’Horizon Hotel, Saint Brélade[21]
22nd13 June 2014GuernseyJonathan Le TocqSt. Pierre Park Hotel, Saint Peter Port[22]
23rd28 November 2014Isle of ManAllan BellVilla Marina Complex, Douglas[23]
24th19 June 2015IrelandEnda KennyDublin Castle, Dublin[24]
25th27 November 2015United KingdomTheresa VilliersLancaster House, London[25]
26th17 June 2016ScotlandNicola SturgeonCrowne Plaza Hotel, Glasgow[26]
27th Extraordinary22 July 2016WalesCarwyn JonesCathays Park, Cardiff[27]
28th25 November 2016WalesCarwyn JonesCathays Park, Cardiff[28]
29th10 November 2017JerseyIan GorstL’Horizon Hotel, St. Brelade

[29]

30th22 June 2018GuernseyGavin St PierSt Pierre Park Hotel, Saint Peter Port[30]
31st9 November 2018Isle of ManHoward QuayleIsle of Man[31]
32nd28 June 2019United KingdomDavid LidingtonManchester[32]
33rd15 November 2019IrelandLeo VaradkarDublin[33]
34th6 November 2020ScotlandNicola Sturgeonvia video conferencing[30]
35th11 June 2021Northern IrelandArlene Foster and Michelle O’NeillLough Erne resort, Fermanagh[31][15]
36th19 November 2021WalesMark DrakefordCardiff[32]
37th8 July 2022GuernseyPeter FerbracheSt. Pierre Park Hotel, Saint Peter Port[33]
38th11 November 2022United KingdomRishi SunakBlackpool[34][7]
39th16 June 2023JerseyKristina MooreSt Brelade[35][16]
40th24 November 2023IrelandLeo VaradkarDublin Castle[36]

See also

Notes

References

External links

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