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Fundación Galicia Europa: bridging the gap between Europe and Galicia

Fundación Galicia Europa (FGE) was established in 1988 for the purpose of setting up a Galician delegation in Brussels and furthering the rapprochement between Galicia and Europe. Associated with the Directorate-General for Foreign Affairs and Relations with the EU in the Galician regional government, the FGE has offices in both Santiago de Compostela and Brussels. In 2015 its role was reinforced with the enactment of Decree 178/2015 of external action of the Autonomous Community of Galicia, which defines the FGE as “a non-profit institution part of the regional public sector [...] mandated by the Xunta de Galicia to represent the regional government before the EU organs and institutions, following the guidelines laid down by the devolved government and respecting the principles of unity of the State’s external action.”

The work of the FGE is directed towards two main aims: better communication of Community action in Galicia and the advocacy for Galician interests at the European level. In order to fulfil its mission, the Foundation carries out work in four key areas:

— Advancement of Galician interests before the EU. Aiming at furthering Galician interests before the European institutions, the FGE monitors Community policies to report on them in Galicia, particularly to the regional government. At the same time, it provides support and advises Galician participants in fora such as the Committee of the Regions and other meetings at the Community level. Additionally, the Foundations organises cultural, economic or tourism promotion activities in order to advertise Galicia in Brussels.

— Furtherance of Galician participation in European projects. The FGE promotes the participation of Galician entities in European projects in order to boost the competitiveness of both the Galician public and private sectors. Such advancement entails technical advice, searches for partners at EU level, organisation of meetings with representatives of the institutions or even the participation of the FGE itself in partnerships which are of its interest. Conversely, the Foundation convenes training seminars on this type of funding. 

— Information about the European Union in Galicia. The FGE strives to bridge the gap between Community developments and the Galician society, as well as to report on the funding possibilities and the employment and internship opportunities in the EU institutions. The main channel of information is its website www.fundaciongaliciaeuropa.eu, which offers the possibility to subscribe to a newsletter. 

— Training and outreach. The 30-year-long commitment of FGE with training has allowed over 400 people to get acquainted with the EU through its internships.  Furthermore, in Galicia it organises all sorts of events to explain the European Union to Galician citizens.