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Cumbria in the EU

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  • Cumbria interfaces with the EU at all levels
  • It is a partnership of giving and receiving

People of Cumbria

Many of you spend your holidays in other EU countries, you may originate from other EU countries; have relatives living in other EU countries, do business with other EU countries; have studies in other EU countries…the list is endless… so you will have many links and first-hand experiences of what it is like to live and work in an EU country.

Economic Development

Port of Workington

The Port of Workingtonthis external link will open in a new window is Cumbria’s logistics gateway to the rest of Europe.  Some parts of Cumbria’s transport infrastructure are part of the EU-wide transport infrastructure and has thus had EU investment.

Over more than 20 years, EU funding has contributed to a vast range of projects in Cumbria including economic development regeneration; port and marina development and bridge building; education, learning and exchanges in schools, colleges and universities and with training providers as well as student placements in the EU and students coming to Cumbria to study – bringing investment to the education sector; there are EU projects on health, energy, food security and significant payments to the rural economy and rural development under the common agricultural policy.

It has contributed to schemes to help unemployed people get back into work; university and private sector research and development and collaboration; nuclear-related knowledge.  Cumbria has also just been approved to receive funding under the European Fisheries Fund.  What we have gained is not just funding but greater knowledge and networks – leading to further opportunities.

Trade and Investment

The EU has brought business into Cumbria, including relocation of EU companies into Cumbria and the development of new markets in the EU for marketing Cumbrian products, services and supply-chains.

Health Projects

District Councils also have European initiatives such as Carlisle City Council’s World Health Organisation European Healthy Cities projectthis external link will open in a new window.

EU Policy in Cumbria

Cumbria County Council agreed an EU Strategy (PDF <1mb)this external link will open in a new window at its cabinet meeting in September 2010.  This policy enables the Council’s European service to act as and reinforce a single voice for Cumbria on the EU.

Political Representation

To get the best from our membership of the EU, Cumbria is represented on bodies locally, regionally and in Brussels.

MEPsthis external link will open in a new window - You have 8 local Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) based in the NW region.

Committee of the Regions (CoR) - Councillor Mary Robinson is ‘Alternate’ on the Committee of the Regions (CoR)this external link will open in a new window.  Mary was selected to be on CoR in her capacity as a national Independent councillor but she is also a Member of Cumbria Country Council and Deputy Leader of Eden District Council.

The Committee of the Regions (CoR) is the political assembly that provides the regional and local levels with a voice in EU policy development and EU legislation.  The Treaties oblige the European Commission, Parliament and Council to consult the Committee of the Regions whenever new proposals are made in areas that affect the regional or local level.  The CoR has 344 members from the 27 EU countries, and its work is organised in 6 different commissions.

Councillor Mary Robinson is also on the Natural Resources Commission (NAT), which is one of six Commissions.  These six distinctive Commissionsthis external link will open in a new window are responsible to support the preparation of opinions based on the proposals of the European Commission.  The draft version of opinions and resolutions are submitted to the Plenary Assembly for adoption.  The composition of each Commission reflects the political and national composition of the Committee of the Regions.

Councillor Tim Knowles is responsible for European Affairs as Cumbria County Council Cabinet Member for Transport and the Environment.

Cumbria will be nominating a political representative to be on the Local Management Committee (LMC) for the North West UK looking after the European Regional Development Fund.  This nomination will come from the Cumbria Leaders Board.  Cumbria has also nominated a representative from its Local Enterprise Partnership.