The representatives of 17 chambers of commerce of the Atlantic Arc, from the Garonne to the Duero, have met in Bilbao to claim the leading role of this axis, given the risk they perceive of “remaining on the periphery of Europe”. At a time when the axis of economic activity and innovation is shifting to the east, they have sought to stage a unit of action in order to promote the Atlantic rail corridor, the green hydrogen connections or the development of renewable energies in high seas. These organizations also support the creation of a European macro-region, an objective for which they want to take advantage of the Spanish presidency of the EU.
The act of this Wednesday in Bilbao was born from a shared reflection that the Lehendakari wanted to lead. Urkullu watched with interest movements such as the Quiero Corredor summit, held in November in Barcelona, ??with a thousand businessmen and the highest authorities of Catalonia, the Valencian Community and Murcia demanding the leading role of the Mediterranean corridor. The reading they did in Ajuria Enea is that the Atlantic Arc must also position itself so as not to be left behind.
On March 13, Urkullu led a meeting with the then presidents of Galicia, Alfonso Rueda; Asturias, Adrian Barbon; and Cantabria, Miguel Ángel Revilla. A week later, Urkullu sought a similar position at the meeting of the Euskadi-Navarre-New Aquitaine Euroregion. Concrete proposals emerged from these meetings, such as the creation of a macro-region of the Atlantic Arc, a demand that has already been transferred to the Spanish Government.
In any case, Urkullu considered that this position should be accompanied by business support, as has happened in the Mediterranean case, and has sought to involve other parties in the process. From this reading the act of this Wednesday in Bilbao was born.
A total of 17 Chambers of Commerce of the Atlantic Arc have signed a declaration in which they undertake to play a “relevant role” in the construction of an Atlantic macro-region and to create a forum for “reflection and cooperation” to address the challenges of the regions. of the Atlantic Arc and transform it into a “more competitive and attractive territory” at the risk of losing influence.
This Declaration of the Chambers of Commerce of the Atlantic Arc has been signed at the CámaraBilbao headquarters by 17 chamber presidents and has been delivered by the president of the Bilbao Chamber of Commerce, José Ignacio Zudaire, to the lehendakari and president of the Arc Commission Atlántico, Iñigo Urkullu.
The signatories of the Declaration are the representatives of the Business Association of Portugal, the chambers of commerce of Tui, Lugo, A Coruña, Santiago de Compostela, Aviles, Gijón, Oviedo, Cantabria, Torrelavega, Burgos, Bilbao, Álava, Gipuzkoa, Navarra , Bayonne and Bordeaux.
With this Declaration, which is open to the adhesion of other Chambers of the Atlantic Arc, they have responded to the call to socio-economic agents, made by the Atlantic Arc Commission at the meeting held in Cardiff on May 23, to get involved in the construction of the Atlantic macro-region.
These Chambers of Commerce propose, from “the strength of the local”, join forces to transform the Atlantic Arc “into a more competitive, more sustainable, more dynamic, more open and connected territory; as well as more attractive and with a higher quality of life for your citizenship.” “In short, a more attractive territory with greater prosperity and a better quality of life for its citizens,” the Declaration states.
The signatories share the concern about the risk that the peripheral condition of the Atlantic Arc leads “in a loss of competitiveness, attractiveness as a territory and capacity for influence.”
As they have stated, they are aware that, as a result of globalization, the center of gravity of economic activity and innovation is shifting from the Atlantic to the Pacific. For this reason, they warn of the risk of Atlantic interests being relegated “to the background”.
In the Declaration, the chambers highlight some of the challenges they share and the priority is the improvement of connectivity and the capacity of influence of the Atlantic axis, given its “loss of weight”.
In their opinion, this improvement in connectivity is one of the “keys to competitiveness” and they are committed to developing the necessary efforts to complete the Atlantic Rail Corridor “in due time”, by 2030, in its basic network. Zudaire has indicated that, despite France’s more reticent position, the European Council has said that “it must be done.”
The chambers of commerce also point out among their priorities the promotion of a collaboration strategy between the ports, the development of the map of the interconnections at a European level of the hydrogen infrastructure that contemplates the Atlantic interconnection of the HiWest corridor by 2030, deploying the network electric vehicle charging and hydrogen charging, as well as 5G networks and services that will allow positioning in sectors such as industry 4.0, connected and autonomous vehicles, as well as deploying the broadband network to rural and isolated areas.
