Impact of St Andrews on North-South and East-West Institutions

Regarding Strands Two (North–South) and Three (East–West) of the 1998 Agreement, it was agreed at St Andrews that:

• arrangements should be in place to ensure adequate preparation for and attendance at North–South Ministerial Council (NSMC) and British–Irish Council (BIC) meetings;

• the Executive Committee would encourage the establishment of a North–South Parliamentary Body comprised of elected members of the Assembly and Dáil Eireann and an independent North–South Consultative Forum comprised of representatives from different sections of society, including business, the trade union movement, agriculture, and the community and voluntary sector; and

• a permanent office would be established for BIC.

NB: Following the Agreement, the NSMC announced in July 2007 that it would establish a joint Review Group. This group would consider the efficiency and value for money of implementation bodies and the case for more bodies and areas of co-operation where mutual benefit would be derived.