Brussels, 04/11/2005 (Agence Europe) - At a meeting in Brighton (the UK) on 18 October, Arc Manche, a flexible network of French regions and British local authorities along the English Channel set up a new structure, the Arc Manche Regional Assembly. President of the Upper Normandy region of France, Alain le Vern, was elected President of the Regional Assembly, and Brad Watson, representing West Sussex, Vice-President. The new assembly covers five French regions (Brittany, Lower Normandy, Upper Normandy, Picardy and Nord-Pas-de Calais) and seven British local authorities (the counties of Kent, West Sussex, East Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight) and the municipalities of Brighton and Southampton.
The Arc Manche Regional Assembly will be active politically and institutionally in preparing for the implementation of European regional policy in 2007-2013, explains a press release. The work programme covers future inter-regional cooperation and continuing with the EMDI (Espace Manche Developpement Initiative) to boost Franco-British cooperation on maritime issues. To this effect, Alain le Vern will be meeting the Director of Maritime Policy at the European Commission, John Richardson, in Brussels on 16 November.
Alain le Vern said the meeting was a decisive step in the recognition of the Arc Manche area as a coherent area of cooperation and EU projects, adding that the operational phase would start with implementing tangible projects on issues of common interest like maritime safety, the environment (preserving the coastline, tackling pollution, etc.), sea resources, tourism and transport. (See: http://www.arcmanche.com )