Ministers of the Atlantic Group meet in Porto

The Secretary of State for European Affairs will host a meeting with the Ministers of European Affairs of the European Union Member States that face the Atlantic, the so-called Atlantic Group, on 23 May in Porto.

Delegations from Spain, France Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark will attend, as well as Portugal. 

The aim of this initiative is the creation of an informal European Atlantic group and how it can contribute to the opportunities and challenges faced by the European project, fostering coordination in matters of common interest and setting up the right balance between Europe’s continental and Atlantic projections. 

Participants will seek to discuss and reconcile joint positions over two working sessions: the first one will focus on the opportunities and challenges the European Union faces in terms of managing, developing and protecting the Atlantic space, and the second one will focus on the institutional and budgetary challenges brought on by the EU enlargement, with a view to the discussion to be held at the European Council in June. 

The meeting will end with dinner on-board the Sagres school vessel, docked in Porto for the Navy Day celebrations.