The Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR) and its Atlantic Arc and North Sea Commissions have presented what it calls “positive proposals” to Michel Barnier, the European Commission’s Chief Negotiator for the Preparation and Conduct of the Negotiations with the UK, to limit Brexit’s damaging impact on regions in the Atlantic, the Channel and North Sea areas, writes Martin Banks.
A CPMR delegation, led by President of the Brittany region, Loig Chesnais-Girard, met with Barnier on Wednesday in Brussels to stress that a compromise should be reached to limit Brexit’s disproportionate impact on people and businesses in the Atlantic, the Channel and North Sea territories.
At the meeting, which came as the European Commission today announced its No Deal Contingency Action plan the delegation highlighted the importance of continued cooperation after Brexit between regions in the Atlantic, the Channel and North Sea Basins, and between all European and UK regions.
The delegation consisted of:
– Loig Chesnais-Girard, President of Brittany region, and Member of the CPMR Atlantic Arc Commission and the Channel Alliance;
– Adam Paynter, Cornwall Council Leader and Member of the Channel Alliance;
– Rosa Quintana, Regional Minister in Charge of Maritime Issues for Galicia region, Chair of the CPMR Atlantic Arc Commission Brexit Task Force;
– Michiel Rijsberman, Regional Minister of Flevoland and Chair of the CPMR North Sea Commission Brexit task force;
– Kerstin Brunnström, Councillor of Västra Götaland Region and President of the CPMR North Sea Commission;
– Andreas Lervik, Councillor of Østfold and Vice-President of the CPMR North Sea Commission;
– Eleni Marianou, Secretary General of the CPMR.
The CPMR delegation:
Underlined the importance of territorial cooperation programmes and macro-regional strategies and called for obstacles to be minimised regarding trade, freedom of movement and the continued exchange of researchers and students.
Reinforced the importance of the Atlantic Strategy as a means of deepening transnational cooperation within the Atlantic Sea Basin, and highlighted the need for the development of structures in the North Sea area for multi-level and transnational post-Brexit cooperation including EU, Norway and the UK.
Called for the development of a strategy for the Channel area which will become a new external border but remains a shared area between the UK and the EU.
Stressed that the financial impact on Atlantic, Channel and North sea regions should be met within the MFF.
Loig Chesnais-Girard, President of Brittany region, Member of the CPMR Atlantic Arc Commission and the Channel Alliance said: “We organised this meeting with Barnier at the same time as the European Commission announced its ‘No Deal’ Contingency Action, so it was imperative that we presented our proposals to reduce Brexit’s potentially damaging effect on regions in the Atlantic, the Channel and North Sea areas.”
The Author, Martin Banks, is News Editor of EU Political Report.
