The Atlantic Arc has a vital role to play in Europe’s future. On 2 and 3 June 2026, members of Atlantic Cities gathered in Bilbao for the General Assembly of the network, reaffirming their shared commitment to the sustainable development and prosperity of the Atlantic Arc.
A key outcome of the Assembly was the adoption of the Bilbao Declaration (see below), through which Atlantic Arc cities renewed their determination to work together and to ensure that local governments are recognised as essential partners in shaping the future of the Atlantic Arc.
From left to right: Iker Goiria (advisor to the Diputy General, Diputación Foral de Gipuzkoa); Javier García Ruiz, (councillor for the Economy, Procurement, Purchasing and European Funds of Santander); Jan de Boer (mayor of Den Helder), Juan Mari Aburto (mayor of Bilbao); Inés Rey, (mayor of A Coruña and president of Atlantic Cities); Erwan L’Eost, (councillor for Brest métropole, deputy vice-president of the network) and Serge Blanco (mayor of Biarritz).
Reka Rozsavolgyi, Maritime and Outermost Regions Interreg Programmes officer at DG REGIO (Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, participated remotely. On behalf of the European Commission, she explained the latest information and the process regarding the establishment of the Atlantic macro-regional strategy, following the decision of the European Council of 18 December 2025 aimed at establishing the Atlantic Macro-Region by June 2027.
The General Assembly was also an opportunity to exchange ideas and strengthen collaboration through three complementary sessions.
GRAAL Policy Lab “The role of Atlantic Local Authorities in the Gobernance of Sustainable Tourism and Climate Change Adaptation”
A Policy Lab organised with the Instituto de Hidráulica Ambiental de Cantabria in the framework of the Interreg Atlantic Area GRAAL project, where cities reflected on the challenges of sustainable tourism and climate change adaptation. Local authorities explored how European cooperation projects can better respond to local realities to achieve stronger impact.
The objective was to analyse the needs and the role of Atlantic local authorities in the governance of sustainable tourism and climate change adaptation, fostering dialogue between cities and project partners. Specifically, this Policy Lab aimed to:
– Identify cities’ needs, constraints, and priorities of Atlantic local authorities in addressing sustainable tourism and climate adaptation challenges.
– Explore how European projects, particularly under Interreg, could better support cities to address their challenges, in terms of design, governance, scale-up, and policy uptake.
– Identify governance mechanisms and policy tools that are most useful for cities to integrate sustainable tourism and climate adaptation into local development strategies.
– Generate policy-relevant insights and recommendations to inform future actions within the GRAAL project and beyond.
Strategic workshop
A workshop dedicated to defining the network’s priorities and actions for the coming year, ensuring that Atlantic Cities continues to respond effectively to the needs and ambitions of its members.
During the session, the cities began by presenting the key features of their city, as well as flagship projects and local challenges, building on the discussions from the previous Policy Lab, which had already explored issues such as climate change adaptation, environmental protection and tourism development. After presenting these points to the room, the cities worked in groups by country (France, Spain, Portugal) to identify what kind of support they require most from the network (policy advocacy, exchange of knowledge and best practice, technical support, etc.) and which are the priority topics to address, according to their common challenges. The conclusions of the workshop will inform next year’s Action Plan.
Round table on the Atlantic Macro-Region
Finally, the round table “Building the Atlantic Macro-Region: the role of cities and territories” brought together representatives from the Atlantic local and regional level as well as Atlantic organisations. It was moderated by Eider Inuntziaga, Councillor for the Basque Language, Citizen Services and Participation, the 2030 Agenda and International Affairs, Bilbao City Council.
Inés Rey, the mayor of A Coruña and president of Atlantic Cities, spoke together with Arola Urdangarin Ferreira, Adviser to the General Secretariat for External Action and Euskadi Global, Basque Government, currently presiding the Atlantic Arc Commission–CPMR, Ekaitz López Amurrio, Chief Financial Officer of Bilbao Port Authority, Guillermo Miró, deputy director of Bilbao Chamber of Commerce, representing the Alliance of Atlantic Arc Chambers of Commerce (Archam), Ricardo Cao, rector of the University of A Coruña and Secretary-General of the Conference of Rectors of Universities of South-West Europe (CRUSOE), Manuel Pérez Álvarez, president of the Economic Council of Galicia and president of the Atlantic Transnational Network of Economic and Social Councils of the Atlantic Arc (RTA-ATN) as well as Marian Elorza, director of the eAtlantic Foundation. The discussion highlighted the importance of strengthening cooperation across sectors and governance levels to advance a common vision for the Atlantic Area.
The message emerging from Bilbao was clear: Atlantic Arc municipalities are ready to contribute to a stronger, more resilient and more sustainable Atlantic region. Achieving this ambition requires cooperation, investment and governance frameworks that fully recognise the role of cities as drivers of European development.
