European Affairs

The principal roles of the European Unit are:

• to research European programmes and initiatives to ensure that opportunities are fully explored and that the Council obtains maximum benefit from securing and targeting European funding;
• to influence change in European policy for the benefit of Highland region. 

In co-operation with the other Highlands & Islands local authorities and Highlands & Islands Enterprise we established, some years ago, the Highlands & Islands European Partnership which funds an office in Brussels staffed by 2 officers. This partnership provides a sound base for information gathering and lobbying on issues that are important to the region.

The Council also belongs to a number of transnational networks, eg Euromontanna and the Conference of Peripheral & Maritime Regions and its geographical commissions; The North Sea Commission and the Atlantic Arc Commission. These provide opportunities to build links with organisations in other European countries with a view to future co-operation.

Opportunities to influence the direction of current programmes also exist with membership of the Advisory Groups, Monitoring and Management Committees of the Transitional Programme and the Advisory Groups and Monitoring Committee of the Northern Periphery Programme.

Some key web sites are shown under External Links.

For Further information, please contact:

Gordon Summers
gordon.summers@highland.gov.uk

Dave Roberts
david.roberts@highland.gov.uk

Morna Cameron
morna.cameron@highland.gov.uk