Rural development in Northern Ireland involves both North-South and East-West co-operation. Since Northern Ireland is part of both the United Kingdom and the island of Ireland, close links must be formed on a cross-border basis in order to maximise the development prospects and benefits of the countries rural areas.

North-South Co-operation

The Departments with responsibility for rural development North and South work together closely. A Steering Committee on Cross-Border Rural Development was set up in 1991 to encourage cross border projects. The Departments also work together on the rural development aspects of some European Union Programmes and the International Fund for Ireland's Disadvantaged Areas Initiative.

Rural development was one of the matters identified for cross-border co-operation. The Steering Committee on Cross-Border Rural Development to examines the scope for common approaches to rural development and maximise co-operation in the implementation of rural development programmes.

The areas of specific cross-border activity is in the Rural Development Programme are:

• Capacity Building - A PEACE II Programme cross-border project involving the Rural Community Network and Irish Rural Link. Aims to address the problems of weak community infrastructure in the small minority communities that straddle the border and to develop cross-border education and training links in the rural development sector.
• Local Regeneration Projects and Programmes - Cross-border projects and programmes aimed at improving the economic, environmental, social and cultural conditions through local regeneration will be supported with funding from the INTERREG III Initiative.
• Sectoral Development Projects and Programmes - Regionally based cross-border projects and programmes will be supported with fundng from the INTERREG III Iniative.
• Micro-business Development - Co-operation is an important aspect of the LEADER+ Initiative which provided funding for micro-business development. Specific support is provided to support cross-border co-operation projects.

East-West Co-operation

The LEADER+ Programme includes provision to support co-operation projects between Local Action Groups in Northern Ireland and rural areas in other parts of the United Kingdom.

Local Action Groups in Northern Ireland will participate in the UK LEADER Network. Closer links and more regular contact between the Irish LEADER Network and the UK LEADER Network will be encouraged. As Northern Ireland is part of both the United Kingdom and the island of Ireland, it will have a significant role to play in this.