The British–Irish Council (BIC; , .) is an intergovernmental organisation that aims to improve collaboration between its members in a number of areas including transport, the environment and energy. Its membership comprises the governments of Ireland, the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man.
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.
Background
The British–Irish Council was established on 10 April 1998 following two years worth of negotiations between the UK and Irish Governments alongside the political parties in Northern Ireland on the terms of the Good Friday Agreement. Under the terms of the agreement, a political organisation was to be established in order to foster and provide opportunities to greater integral working between both the UK and Irish governments, and later the devolved governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Multi-Party agreement between both the UK and Irish governments formally came into effect on 2 December 1999.
Since its formation, the heads of governments of the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, the Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey have met biannually during the Heads of Administrations summit. The first meeting of the British–Irish council took place on 17 December 1999. The first meeting was hosted by the United Kingdom and Prime Minister Tony Blair in London.
In 2006, the St. Andrews Agreement was signed in order to establish a standing permanent Secretariat to the British–Irish Council. The establishment of the position was designed to "further the British-Irish Council work". The Permanent Secretariat was established six years later in Edinburgh, following an agreement between council members at the summit in 2010 hosted by Guernsey that the Scottish Government would be the Permanent Secretariat host. The Secretariat was formally established in January 2012.
Overview and structure
thumb|left|A British-Irish Council summit hosted by Scotland at [[Stirling Castle]]
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.
The work of the council is financed by members through mutual agreement as required. 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
thumb|right|Heads of government gather at the 16th summit held in London, June 2011
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:
- Collaborative spatial planning (Northern Ireland)
- Demography (Scotland)
|}
Current leaders
Membership of the Council consists of the following administrations (with current heads of administrations ):
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Member
! colspan=3 | Representative(s)
! Title
|-
| United Kingdom
! style="background-color: "|
| 60px
| Keir Starmer
| Prime Minister
|-
| Ireland
! style="background:;"|
| 60px
| Micheál Martin
| Taoiseach
|-
| Scotland
! style="background:"|
| 60px
| John Swinney
| First Minister
|-
| Wales
! style="background:"|
|60px
| Rhun ap Iorwerth
| First Minister
|-
| rowspan=2|Northern Ireland
|style="background:" |
| 60px
| Michelle O'Neill
|First Minister
|-
| style="background:" |
| 60px
| Emma Little-Pengelly
|Deputy First Minister
|-
| Jersey
! style="background:"|
| 60px
| Deputy Lyndon Farnham
| Chief Minister
|-
| Isle of Man
! style="background:"|
| 60px
| Alfred Cannan
| Chief Minister
|-
| Guernsey
! style="background-color:;" |
|
| Deputy Lindsay de Sausmarez
| Chief Minister
|}
Name of the Council
Initial suggestions for the council included the names Council of the British Isles or Council of the Isles, 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:
- Guernésiais:
- Jèrriais:
- Ulster-Scots:
|-
|36th ||19 November 2021 ||Wales || Mark Drakeford ||Cardiff ||[https://www.britishirishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/communiqués/Thirty%20Sixth%20Summit%20-%20Wales%20-%2019%2011%2021_1.pdf]
|-
|37th ||8 July 2022 ||Guernsey || Peter Ferbrache ||St. Pierre Park Hotel, Saint Peter Port ||[https://www.britishirishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/communiqu%C3%A9s/FINAL%20BIC%20Summit%20Communique_0.pdf]
|-
|38th
|11 November 2022
|United Kingdom
|Rishi Sunak
|Blackpool
|[https://www.britishirishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/communiqu%C3%A9s/38th%20BIC%20Summit%20-%20Communique%20-%20Final.pdf]
|-
|39th
|16 June 2023
|Jersey
|Kristina Moore
|St Brelade
|[https://www.britishirishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/communiqués/39th%20BIC%20Summit%20-%20Communiqué_0.pdf]
|-
|40th
|24 November 2023
|Ireland
|Leo Varadkar
|Dublin Castle
|[https://www.britishirishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/communiqués/40th%20BIC%20Summit%20-%20Communique.pdf]
|-
| 41st || 21 June 2024 || Isle of Man || Alfred Cannan || Isle of Man ||
|-
|42nd
|5–6 December 2024
|Scotland
|John Swinney
|Edinburgh
|
|-
|43rd
|9 June 2025
|Northern Ireland
|Michelle O'Neill and Emma Little-Pengelly
|Belfast
|
|-
|44th
|1 December 2025
|Wales
|Eluned Morgan
|Cardiff
|
|}
See also
- Council of Ireland
- North/South Ministerial Council
- British–Irish Intergovernmental Conference
- British–Irish Parliamentary Assembly
- Interparliamentary Forum
- Council of Nations and Regions
- East–West Council