As part of its work on the Environment Driver the South West RDA has joined a partnership, funded through the European Interreg 3C programme, consisting of various development and environment agencies from eight European Countries - Spain, Greece, Italy, Hungary, Malta, Poland and Austria. The aim of the project is to harness experience from Objective 1 and 2 programmes to work towards developing a common European methodology for integrating environmental sustainability as a horizontal theme within current and future regional development programmes across Europe and beyond.  
 
The Environment Agency SW is leading the overall project with the RDA coordinating the South West partnership (Cornwall County Council, Devon County Council, Objective 1 and 2 programmes, Countryside Agency, English Heritage, English Nature, South West Regional Assembly, Learning and Skills Council and Bristol City Council). The project will be launched later this year and over the course of three years will work towards developing a best practice guide, accompanied by a set of principles, for mainstreaming the environmental horizontal theme into regional development programmes.  
 
Further information on the project is available on the GRDP website. You can also contact: Sofie Ruggieri, Tel: 01392 229368 or Email: sofie.ruggieri@southwestrda.org.uk or Vicki Montague, Policy and Research Coordinator, Tel: 01392 229375 or Email: vicki.street@southwestrda.org.uk