British–Irish Council


The British–Irish Council 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.
In 2023, the summits held in Jersey and the Republic of Ireland marked twenty-five years since the Good Friday Agreement, whilst the 42nd summit hosted by Scotland in December 2024 marked twenty-five years since the inaugural meeting of the council.

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.
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. 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

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

Member administrations

Advisors

Current leaders

Membership of the Council consists of the following administrations :

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:
NumberDateHostHost leaderLocation heldCommunique/reference
1st17 December 1999United KingdomTony BlairLondon
2nd30 November 2001IrelandBertie AhernDublin
3rd14 June 2002JerseyPierre HorsfallSaint Helier
4th22 November 2002ScotlandJack McConnellNew Lanark
5th28 November 2003WalesRhodri MorganSt Fagans National History Museum, Cardiff
6th28 November 2004GuernseyLaurie MorganCastle Cornet
7th20 May 2005Isle of ManDonald GellingVilla Marina, Douglas
8th2 June 2006United KingdomJohn PrescottExCeL Conference Centre, London
9th16 July 2007Northern IrelandIan Paisley
Martin McGuinness		Parliament Buildings, Belfast
10th14 February 2008IrelandBertie AhernRoyal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin
11th26 September 2008ScotlandAlex SalmondHopetoun House, South Queensferry
12th20 February 2009WalesRhodri MorganSWALEC Stadium, Cardiff
13th13 November 2009JerseyTerry Le SueurRadisson Hotel, Saint Helier
14th25 June 2010GuernseyLyndon TrottFermain Valley Hotel, Saint Peter Port
15th13 December 2010Isle of ManTony BrownSefton Hotel, Douglas
16th20 June 2011United KingdomNick CleggLancaster House, London
17th13 January 2012IrelandEnda KennyDublin Castle, Dublin
18th22 June 2012ScotlandAlex SalmondStirling Castle, Stirling
19th26 November 2012WalesCarwyn JonesCardiff Castle, Cardiff
20th21 June 2013Northern IrelandPeter Robinson
Martin McGuinness		Magee College, Derry
21st15 November 2013JerseyIan GorstL’Horizon Hotel, Saint Brélade
22nd13 June 2014GuernseyJonathan Le TocqSt. Pierre Park Hotel, Saint Peter Port
23rd28 November 2014Isle of ManAllan BellVilla Marina Complex, Douglas
24th19 June 2015IrelandEnda KennyDublin Castle, Dublin
25th27 November 2015United KingdomTheresa VilliersLancaster House, London
26th17 June 2016ScotlandNicola SturgeonCrowne Plaza Hotel, Glasgow
27th Extraordinary22 July 2016WalesCarwyn JonesCathays Park, Cardiff
28th25 November 2016WalesCarwyn JonesCathays Park, Cardiff
29th10 November 2017JerseyIan GorstL’Horizon Hotel, St. Brelade
30th22 June 2018GuernseyGavin St PierSt Pierre Park Hotel, Saint Peter Port]
31st9 November 2018Isle of ManHoward QuayleIsle of Man]
32nd28 June 2019United KingdomDavid LidingtonManchester]
33rd15 November 2019IrelandLeo VaradkarDublin]
34th6 November 2020ScotlandNicola Sturgeonvia video conferencing
35th11 June 2021Northern IrelandArlene Foster and Michelle O’NeillLough Erne resort, Fermanagh
36th19 November 2021WalesMark DrakefordCardiff
37th8 July 2022GuernseyPeter FerbracheSt. Pierre Park Hotel, Saint Peter Port
38th11 November 2022United KingdomRishi SunakBlackpool
39th16 June 2023JerseyKristina MooreSt Brelade
40th24 November 2023IrelandLeo VaradkarDublin Castle
41st21 June 2024Isle of ManAlfred CannanIsle of Man
42nd5–6 December 2024ScotlandJohn SwinneyEdinburgh
43rd9 June 2025Northern IrelandMichelle O'Neill and Emma Little-PengellyBelfast
44th1 December 2025WalesEluned MorganCardiff