The Basque Country and New Aquitaine invite the European Commissioner for Transport to witness the current state of the Atlantic rail corridor

• Imanol Pradales participates in the annual assembly of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine / Basque Country / Navarre Euroregion in Pamplona
• Representatives from the three regions approve the new budgetary framework for 2025, which allocates €900,000 to project calls  
• The President of the Basque Country advocates for the role of stateless nations in Europe and calls for a decisive boost to the Atlantic Macroregion

"President of Nouvelle Aquitaine[1] Alain Rousset and I have jointly sent a letter to European Commissioner for Transport Apostolos Tzitzikostas. On January 28, we shared our concerns in Brussels regarding the ongoing delays in the Atlantic rail corridor. Through this letter, we have formally invited him to come and see the situation for himself.  It is unacceptable that we remain disconnected from Europe when it comes to high-speed rail links.  This cannot continue.”

This morning, the President participated in the annual assembly of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine / Basque Country / Navarre[2] Euroregion. The meeting was also attended by the President of Navarre, María Chivite, and the President of New Aquitaine, Alain Rousset, leading their respective delegations. It was with the latter that Imanol Pradales announced the formal letter sent to the European Commissioner for Transport, inviting him to visit the Atlantic rail corridor to observe the situation firsthand.

Alongside the President, First Vice-President and Basque Minister for Culture and Linguistic Policy, Ibone Bengoetxea; Basque Minister for Science, Universities and Innovation, Ignacio Pérez; Basque Minister for Tourism, Trade and Consumer Affairs, Javier Hurtado; and Secretary General for International Development and Relations, Ander Caballero, also attended the event in Iruña.

The President of the Basque Country and the President of New Aquitaine were welcomed by María Chivite at the Palacio de Navarra. Following their greetings, the three leaders addressed the General Assembly of the Euroregion, where the 2024 report, the new 2025 budgetary framework, and key projects for strengthening cross-border cooperation were presented.

After the meeting, the President highlighted the critical role of the Euroregion as a tool for cooperation and as an influential player in shaping European policies.

During his speech, he underscored the progress achieved through the territorialisation of ERDF funds and the launch of the ‘Western Functional Area,’ which has facilitated the development of six projects in mobility, employment, and multilingualism, with a total investment of 14.8 million euros.

However, the Lehendakari also emphasized a crucial element for the future of the Euroregion and the entire European Atlantic seaboard: the Atlantic Macroregion. "It is time to make it a reality once and for all.  We must overcome the barriers and take the definitive step," he asserted.

As part of this strategy, the President, together with the President of New Aquitaine, Alain Rousset, sent a letter to the European Commissioner for Transport, Apostolos Tzitzikostas. In this letter, they expressed their concerns regarding the ongoing delays in implementing the Atlantic Railway Corridor and formally invited him to visit the area to see the situation firsthand.

"It is unacceptable that we remain disconnected from Europe. This cannot continue,” emphasised Imanol Pradales, stressing that the territories comprising the Atlantic Arc cannot be relegated to a peripheral position with no capacity for influence.

Review of Activities in 2024 

In 2024, the Euroregion made significant strides in various areas. Twenty new Euroregional citizenship projects were funded, and seven innovation initiatives were supported. Eighty-four Euroregional grants were awarded to facilitate academic mobility.

In addition, initiatives such as the ‘Mugalur’ project, which promoted the enhancement of cross-border heritage, and the ‘Incubadora-Inkuba Sarea,’ which supports emerging agri-food companies, stood out. Cooperation between the chambers of commerce of Baiona, Gipuzkoa, and Nafarroa enabled advisory services for 135 companies to expand their cross-border internationalisation. Other notable actions included the 2nd University Forum in Biarritz and the Cross-Border Information Days in Hendaia, benefiting over 150 individuals in the labour market. 

Budget and Projects for 2025 

For 2025, the Euroregion will allocate €900,000 to cooperation projects, distributed across two main areas: €500,000 for projects related to Euroregional citizenship (culture, multilingualism, education, youth, sport, and social challenges) and €400,000 for innovation and structuring projects in key economic sectors. Additionally, the Euroregional Scholarship programme will continue, with a budget of €60,000 to promote cross-border academic mobility for students and doctoral candidates. 

During the Assembly, three new projects were presented: ‘Transfermugi,’ which seeks to improve cross-border mobility through integrated public transport services; ‘Lanean,’ focusing on consolidating the cross-border labour market; and ‘Hezhi,’ which will promote multilingualism in education, reducing language barriers. 

[1] This is the French Basque Country, referred to as Akitania Berria in Basque. It refers to this larger administrative region, which encompasses both Basque and non-Basque territories. It is part of the historical and cultural Basque Country, though the French Basque Country does not have the same level of autonomy as the Spanish Basque Country.

[2] Article 2 of the Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country establishes that Álava/Araba, Guipúzcoa/ Gipuzkoa, and Vizcaya/Bizkaia, as well as Navarre/Nafarroa, have the right to be part of the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country. The territory of the community is formed by these three provinces, with the possibility of Navarre/Nafarroa joining if it chooses, following the procedure outlined in the Fourth Transitional Provision of the 1978 Spanish Constitution. (Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country, Article 2; Spanish Constitution, Fourth Transitional Provision).