European Affairs

Highland residents can take our online Europe quiz for a chance to win £50 of vouchers.

The quiz will remain open until Fri 31 May, when the answers will be revealed and a winner chosen at random from all the correct responses.

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 the European Union;
to influence change in European policy initiatives for the benefit of Highlands.

The Council in partnership with the other Highlands & Islands local authorities, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the University of the Highlands & Islands Millennium Institute (UHI) co-operates as the Highlands & Islands European Partnership (HIEP) in seeking to influence E.U. policy for the benefit of the wider Highlands & Islands. HIEP funds an office in Brussels which provides information and intelligence on Highlands & Islands priorities.

The Council is an active member of Euromontanna, the Conference of Peripheral & Maritime Regions and the North Sea Commission. These networks provide opportunities for experience exchange, 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 Advisory Groups and the Monitoring Committee of the Highlands & Islands European Regional Development and European Social Fund Programmes and of the Regional Advisory Group and Monitoring Committee of the Northern Periphery Programme.

A number of key web sites are listed under External Links.

For further information, please contact:

Gordon Summers
gordon.summers@highland.gov.uk

Dave Roberts
david.roberts@highland.gov.uk

Andy Hamilton (Thursday and Friday only)
Andy.Hamilton@highland.gov.uk