•The eAtlantic Fundazioa Foundation made its public presentation after the meeting of its Board of Trustees, which coincided with the celebration of Europe Day and the 75th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration.
•Lehendakari Iñigo Urkullu, president of the new entity, stated that “our work must contribute to the creation of the Atlantic Macroregion and generate a positive narrative about its capabilities.”
•Among its first initiatives, it plans to activate a working group to regionalize the proposals of the Letta and Draghi reports.
•The Foundation’s Board of Trustees brings together a group of five promoters—BBVA, Iberdrola, Kutxabank, Petronor, and the Lehendakari himself—as well as more than twenty collaborating Trustees representing various entities, associations, universities, Chambers of Commerce, and companies, along with a prestigious group of individual Trustees.
The eAtlantic Fundazioa Foundation, chaired by Lehendakari Iñigo Urkullu, made its public presentation this Friday in the Arriaga Hall of Bizkaiko Aretoa, in Bilbao. The event, which coincides with the celebration of Europe Day and the 75th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration, began with a meeting of the Board of Trustees of this new entity, which includes trustees and collaborators.
In his subsequent appearance before the media, Lehendakari Urkullu, having been appointed president of the Foundation by decision of his Board of Trustees, began by referring specifically to the coincidence of this event with Europe Day, expressing his and eAtlantic’s commitment “to the defense of the European integration project.”
In this context, he stated that “in the face of a Europe threatened by the rise of populism and certain liberal regimes, and in a world undergoing rapid transformation, it is more necessary than ever to reaffirm our commitment to Europeanism and contribute, in a constructive and civic manner, to advancing the integration project.” He added that the EU, born from the ashes of the Second World War, has managed to build an area of peace and prosperity, and must continue to be a guarantor of democracy, an engine of progress, and a benchmark for an international order based on shared values.
The Lehendakari recalled that the Basque Country has always supported the ideal of a united Europe, and that the eAtlantic Fundazioa Foundation is part of that tradition, aiming to generate added value through reflection and the formulation of concrete proposals. He also emphasized that one of the foundation’s key missions will be to promote the prosperity of the Atlantic coast and position its interests on the European agenda, especially in the context of the ongoing transitions.
Asked about the lines of action of this new Foundation, Lehendakari Urkullu emphasized that “we have a clear action plan and the means to implement it.” In this regard, he announced that “it has been agreed to activate a working group tasked with identifying the key proposals of the Letta and Draghi reports.” “At eAtlantic, we are going to mobilize public and private stakeholders, inviting the best minds to analyze how to concretely implement the recommendations of these reports in the Atlantic region,” he clarified.
Urkullu, in his first speech as president of the eAtlantic Foundation, stated that the objective will be to identify obstacles and opportunities and propose actions to overcome them. The idea is to align investments with the European agenda, reduce the innovation deficit, advance decarbonization without losing competitiveness, and strengthen interconnections to integrate the Atlantic coast into the new European Single Market, while also promoting Sustainable Human Development. He also emphasized that his work must contribute to creating the Atlantic Macroregion and generate a positive narrative about its potential.
With special emphasis on governance, he underscores the need for the institutional levels closest to citizens to participate effectively in European Union decision-making. “We need participatory governance that guarantees informed decisions and policies connected to reality,” he stated.
The Lehendakari believes that “the EU needs informed decision-making to strengthen its democratic legitimacy and better respond to real needs.” Therefore, he declared to the media that eAtlantic will focus part of its work on promoting debate and reflection on participatory governance in the EU, harnessing the potential of sub-national governments, especially those with legislative powers. In his opinion, for citizens to feel identified with the European institutions, it is essential to have clear mechanisms for closeness and participation.
More specifically, he explained that eAtlantic will have a working group on governance, charged with providing evidence of the added value of territorializing EU policies and fostering regional participation, especially in areas such as technology, industry, and strategic positioning.
Even so, Lehendakari Urkullu acknowledged that, to achieve its objectives, the eAtlantic Foundation needs to consolidate its presence, establish strategic alliances with public and private actors along the Atlantic coast, collaborate with regions with legislative powers and prestigious think tanks, and maintain stable dialogue with the European institutions. “Geography has placed us on the Atlantic coast of the continent, an area rich in capabilities and heritage, but which, due to its peripheral position within the EU, runs the risk of being relegated,” he admitted.
An experienced board of trustees
The eAtlantic Foundation was born from the commitment of a group of 27 trustees who bring recognized experience leading networks and participating in collaborative projects, managing business, academic, technological, and social innovation projects at the Atlantic and European levels. For all these reasons, its president, Lehendakari Iñigo Urkullu, emphasized that “we know firsthand the enormous potential of the Atlantic coast and its shortcomings, and we also understand the potential of multi-level governance.”
The Board of Trustees brings together a group of five promoting trustees—BBVA, Iberdrola, Kutxabank, Petronor, and Lehendakari Urkullu himself—as well as a group of collaborating trustees representing various entities, associations, universities, chambers of commerce, and companies, along with individual trustees.
The president of the association wished to thank them all, as they represent “a substantial part of the socioeconomic fabric of the Basque Country,” by incorporating leading companies in the green and digital transitions, financial institutions, the Basque university system, Chambers of Commerce, social organizations, and individuals with proven track records who contribute “professional experience and commitment, diversity, and extensive knowledge to serve the foundation’s purposes, which are our greatest asset,” he emphasized.
Lehendakari Urkullu, President of eAtlantic: “We are going to formulate proposals for a prosperous Atlantic coastline”
The eAtlantic Fundazioa Foundation, chaired by Lehendakari Iñigo Urkullu, made its public presentation this Friday in the Arriaga Hall of Bizkaiko Aretoa, in Bilbao. The event, which coincides with the celebration of Europe Day and the 75th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration, began with a meeting of the Board of Trustees of this new entity, which includes trustees and collaborators.
In his subsequent appearance before the media, Lehendakari Urkullu, having been appointed president of the Foundation by decision of his Board of Trustees, began by referring specifically to the coincidence of this event with Europe Day, expressing his and eAtlantic’s commitment “to the defense of the European integration project.”
In this context, he stated that “in the face of a Europe threatened by the rise of populism and certain liberal regimes, and in a world undergoing rapid transformation, it is more necessary than ever to reaffirm our commitment to Europeanism and contribute, in a constructive and civic manner, to advancing the integration project.” He added that the EU, born from the ashes of the Second World War, has managed to build an area of peace and prosperity, and must continue to be a guarantor of democracy, an engine of progress, and a benchmark for an international order based on shared values.
The Lehendakari recalled that the Basque Country has always supported the ideal of a united Europe, and that the eAtlantic Fundazioa Foundation is part of that tradition, aiming to generate added value through reflection and the formulation of concrete proposals. He also emphasized that one of the foundation’s key missions will be to promote the prosperity of the Atlantic coast and position its interests on the European agenda, especially in the context of the ongoing transitions.
Asked about the lines of action of this new Foundation, Lehendakari Urkullu emphasized that “we have a clear action plan and the means to implement it.” In this regard, he announced that “it has been agreed to activate a working group tasked with identifying the key proposals of the Letta and Draghi reports.” “At eAtlantic, we are going to mobilize public and private stakeholders, inviting the best minds to analyze how to concretely implement the recommendations of these reports in the Atlantic region,” he clarified.
Urkullu, in his first speech as president of the eAtlantic Foundation, stated that the objective will be to identify obstacles and opportunities and propose actions to overcome them. The idea is to align investments with the European agenda, reduce the innovation deficit, advance decarbonization without losing competitiveness, and strengthen interconnections to integrate the Atlantic coast into the new European Single Market, while also promoting Sustainable Human Development. He also emphasized that his work must contribute to creating the Atlantic Macroregion and generate a positive narrative about its potential.
With special emphasis on governance, he underscores the need for the institutional levels closest to citizens to participate effectively in European Union decision-making. “We need participatory governance that guarantees informed decisions and policies connected to reality,” he stated.
The Lehendakari believes that “the EU needs informed decision-making to strengthen its democratic legitimacy and better respond to real needs.” Therefore, he declared to the media that eAtlantic will focus part of its work on promoting debate and reflection on participatory governance in the EU, harnessing the potential of sub-national governments, especially those with legislative powers. In his opinion, for citizens to feel identified with the European institutions, it is essential to have clear mechanisms for closeness and participation.
More specifically, he explained that eAtlantic will have a working group on governance, charged with providing evidence of the added value of territorializing EU policies and fostering regional participation, especially in areas such as technology, industry, and strategic positioning.
Even so, Lehendakari Urkullu acknowledged that, to achieve its objectives, the eAtlantic Foundation needs to consolidate its presence, establish strategic alliances with public and private actors along the Atlantic coast, collaborate with regions with legislative powers and prestigious think tanks, and maintain stable dialogue with the European institutions. “Geography has placed us on the Atlantic coast of the continent, an area rich in capabilities and heritage, but which, due to its peripheral position within the EU, runs the risk of being relegated,” he admitted.
An experienced board of trustees
The eAtlantic Foundation was born from the commitment of a group of 27 trustees who bring recognized experience leading networks and participating in collaborative projects, managing business, academic, technological, and social innovation projects at the Atlantic and European levels. For all these reasons, its president, Lehendakari Iñigo Urkullu, emphasized that “we know firsthand the enormous potential of the Atlantic coast and its shortcomings, and we also understand the potential of multi-level governance.”
The Board of Trustees brings together a group of five promoting trustees—BBVA, Iberdrola, Kutxabank, Petronor, and Lehendakari Urkullu himself—as well as a group of collaborating trustees representing various entities, associations, universities, chambers of commerce, and companies, along with individual trustees.
The president of the association wished to thank them all, as they represent “a substantial part of the socioeconomic fabric of the Basque Country,” by incorporating leading companies in the green and digital transitions, financial institutions, the Basque university system, Chambers of Commerce, social organizations, and individuals with proven track records who contribute “professional experience and commitment, diversity, and extensive knowledge to serve the foundation’s purposes, which are our greatest asset,” he emphasized.