Pictured left to right: Brian Barry, Chairman QeC Belfast, Haroon Saad, Director QeC-ERAN, Lionel Martijn, President QeC-ERAN, Cllr Nelson McCausland MLA, Chairman Development committee BCC and Jim Allister MEP.

Commenting Jim Allister said:

“I was very happy to attend this event entitled “Pushing Out The Boundaries” and engage with the leaders of QeC and others on how best Belfast can promote itself across Europe in the process of sharing experiences and learning from other cities in how they cope with the ever-increasing socio-economic problems facing major cities everywhere.  I congratulate Belfast City Council on organising this event and on their pro-active involvement with Eurocities and other trans-national programmes.  As we look forward to the new financial perspective of 2007-13 it is critically important that a sizeable urban programme is developed within the context of available funding. We have benefited in the past from Urban 1 and Urban II, now we need a new programme from which our City can seek support.  I am hopeful that such an urban funding programme will emerge.”

‘Quartiers en Crise’ (QeC), of which Belfast is a founder member, has existed since 1989. It was set up to organise exchanges throughout Europe for people living and working in and representing some of the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods in Europe.

General