Introduction

Our partners are:

• South West of England Regional Development Agency (SWRDA)
• First-tier local authorities
• South West Regional Councils
• Universities South West

We also work closely with the Government Office South West, the Objective One Office and other regional partnerships, including the South West Cohesion Group.

Our Objectives are:

• To ensure the South West has a clear voice in Europe, that its interests are heard and its potential explored;
• To relay information about developments on the European level of relevance and benefit to the region;
• To develop transnational links and opportunities for cooperation with other European regions.

We aim to achieve our objectives by:

• Gathering intelligence on current and future policies and legislation;
• Establishing and maintaining contacts with a broad network of relevant stakeholders;
• Organising and supporting promotional events in Brussels and the South West;
• Sharing knowledge and experience, and bringing local expertise to the European level;
• Providing project development support and partner search facilities;
• Facilitating familiarisation and targeted visits for partners to Brussels.

We have established successful working relationships with the following bodies in Brussels:

• The European Institutions: Members of the European Parliament, Commission and Committee of the Regions;
• Other UK and European regional representations and the UK Permanent Representation to the EU;
• Other European networks: such as the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR), the Assembly of European Regions (AER), Eurocities and the European Association of Regional Development Agencies (EURADA).