Our relationship with Europe
Networks
European networks provide opportunities to influence policies that may affect the Highlands and also offer a wide range of opportunities to learn from other European partners.
We are an active member of the Conference of Peripheral and Maritime Regions (CPMR), Euromontana and the North Sea Commission (NSC).
Our Leader represents UK members on the ruling Political Bureau of the CPMR whilst Councillor George Farlow is a board member for Euromontana. These network organisations provide:
- Access to broader based lobbying on common priorities and issues
- Opportunities to learn from others and to exchange experience on aspects of regional development and service delivery
- To build links at political and officer levels with organisations in other European countries with a view to future co-operation on influencing the direction of and outputs from the European Union in terms of funding streams, policy and legislation
Opportunities have also been taken to influence the direction and delivery of European funding programmes via:
- Membership of Advisory Groups and the Monitoring Committee of the Highlands and Islands European Regional Development and European Social Fund Programmes
- Participation in the Regional Advisory Group and Monitoring Committee of the Northern Periphery Programme
- Member of the Programme Preparatory Group overseeing the development of the 2014-2020 Northern Periphery Programme
- Being a Scottish representative on the Monitoring Committee for the Cross Border Irish and Scotland Interreg Programme
- Engaging with the Monitoring and Evaluation Group which retains a strategic oversight of issues surrounding programme delivery in Scotland