First minister David Trimble and his deputy Seamus Mallon are leading the visit by 88 members of the 108-strong assembly on Wednesday.

Trimble and Mallon: "Enormous goodwill"

The delegation will meet European leaders and learn how the European Parliament and Commission work.

They are accompanied by Northern Ireland Secretary Mo Mowlam, Political Development Minister Paul Murphy and the province's three MEPs, two of which are also assembly members.

A joint statement issued by Mr Trimble and Mr Mallon ahead of the visit said it was time to build on the "enormous goodwill" in Europe towards Northern Ireland after the Good Friday Agreement.

They said they wanted to secure the best funding package for the province over the next 10 years - paying particular attention to the plight of the farming industry.

Paying tribute to Europe

They said: "It is a demonstration of confidence in our ability to address our problems and move forward together.

"We will be representing the interests of those who voted for the agreement as well as those who did not.

"We are going to Brussels to find out and to learn."

Mo Mowlam: "Generosity often overlooked"

On Tuesday, Dr Mowlam paid tribute to the role played by Europe in building peace and hope in Northern Ireland.

In an address at the start of the visit she told an audience that included Commissioner Neil Kinnock: "The generosity of the European Union means a great deal to Northern Ireland. But it is often overlooked.

"The US gets a lot of the publicity for its financial contribution and investments - especially in areas like the International Fund for Ireland [IFI].

"But we shouldn't forget that the EU has put 184 million Ecus into the IFI over its 10-year life."

She said a crucial part of Northern Ireland's development in recent years had been helped by its Objective One status for regional aid.