CPMR - Conference of Peripheral and Maritime Regions
Energy Working Group
How can the development of renewables and reduction in energy demand be taken on board alongside social, economic and environmental imperatives?

20 September 2005, Truro City Hall, Cornwall, UK

Hosted by Cornwall Sustainable Energy Partnership (CSEP)

• Introduction and Background Information
• Programme & Slides

The Conference of Peripheral and Maritime Regions (CPMR), a group representing nearly 150 Regions from 27 European states, operates at the European level on issues which have specific effects on regions that are either peripheral, maritime or both.

Founded in 1973 its main aims are:

• to exploit the common assets of the regions - the sea and the coastline - and help to enhance Europe's maritime dimension;
• to create awareness among the European authorities of the need to tackle major disparities in competitiveness between the central part of Europe and its peripheries;
• to ensure greater involvement of the regional level in European integration.

The CPMR is endeavouring to promote a more balanced and polycentric development model for the European territory and a greater involvement of sub-state players in EU governance.

It fosters the development of co-operation between European regions, as well as with Regions from non-EU member countries, by helping to set up projects and establish and follow up relations with the European Commission in the framework of different European programmes.

It promotes the model of sustainable development through a number of EU sectoral policies: structural funds, transport, agriculture, the environment and maritime-related activities. In 2004 CPMR agreed to form a steering group to concentrate on energy demand and production issues. The Cornwall event is the first of a series leading to a major conference to take place in Navarra in late 2006.

The workshop concentrated on the crucial issue of how energy programmes can cohesively deal with issues under the headings of the three main strands of Sustainable Development: Social, Economic and Environmental. It gathered information from each participant region in order to come to a decision on how to progress the issues over the next 12 months before the event in Navarra.

For more information on CPMR please see www.cpmr.org