Bureau des Îles Anglo-Normandes

On 12 September, the BIAN launched its shared working space at the Saint-Malo port branch in presence of the Minister for Sustainable Economic Development of Jersey, Kirsten Morel, as well as the President of the Brittany Region, Loïg Chesnais-Girard and his two vice-presidents, Stéphane Perrin-Sarzier and Daniel Cueff.

The links between the Brittany region and the Channel Islands were formalized through the signing of a partnership agreement in 2023, covering renewable maritime energy, low-carbon maritime transport and youth mobility.

The partners have since deepened the relationship this year through workshops on economic exchanges, tourism and yachting.

On the political level, a summit is organized each year with elected officials from the Channel Islands, the Department of Ille-et-Vilaine and the Brittany Region to take stock of the work carried out and the prospects to be given.

Providing, from 12 September, a space to welcome and work together constitutes a new step in the cooperation between the Channel Islands and the Region. The office is open to any Channel islander wishing to forge links with Brittany, whether at the institutional level or for a business meeting. For any information on the terms and conditions and reservation of the meeting room, please contact BIAN contact@bianfrance.org 02 31 38 21 40.

Warm thanks to the Region for opening their premises!

On the 24 July, and in the framework of “Opera on screen” operation, was held the screening of the Opera TOSCA in the Channel Islands.

This event is the fruit of the longstanding partnership between the Rennes-Angers Opera, Guernsey Arts Commission and the Government of Jersey. The Opera, sung in Italian with French subtitles, was free to watch, in BeauSéjour Theatre for Guernsey and at the Howard Davis Park, outdoor, on the screen deployed in Jersey.

The annual event aimed at democratising the opera is always appreciated by the Islanders as it is an extra cultural event open to all, for free, to discover an often very famous piece of art.

The opera was first displayed in 26 towns and metropolises in France live on 8 June as well as multiple tv channels. It was held on the 24 July in the Channel Islands simultaneously.

Attendance-wise this year, it gathered 150 people in Guernsey, but the weather in Jersey seems to have sadly discouraged most potential viewers. No disappointment however, as the event will take place once more next year with another opera that will integrate the 2025 French Festival programme!

In April 2023 was introduced a scheme which allowed French day-trippers to visit the Channel Islands without needing a passport and only needing an ID card (carte nationale d’identité). This scheme, which was set to expire in September 2024, has been extended until September 2025 in both the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey. This decision has come after joint discussions between the Channel Islands and the UK government.

However, it should be noted it is unlikely the scheme will extend beyond September 2025, as the UK and the Crown Dependencies will introduce a complete Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme, currently planned for the end of next year, which will require non-visa nationals travelling to the Common Travel Area to provide passport details. Identity cards will not be compatible with this process.

The Minister for Justice and Home Affairs of Jersey, Deputy Mary le Hegarat said: “I’m pleased to be able to extend the scheme for another year and so benefit the local tourist industry. Whilst the introduction of the ETA scheme makes further extension potentially problematic it will increase the security of the CTA [= Common Travel Area] and consequently our Island’s borders.”

Deputy Rob Prow, President of the Committee for Home Affairs of Guernsey, said:

“This scheme was initially introduced just for the summer of 2023, but the benefits to local businesses in allowing French travellers into the Bailiwick for day trips were clear, and so we are pleased to have been able to continue it since. France is a country where the number of people who hold a passport is relatively low, and so ensuring they can still travel following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU has been very valuable. It is unlikely the scheme will continue when ETAs are introduced, however that scheme will increase the security of the Common Travel Area, and therefore the Bailiwick.”

For more information, please visit the official web page from the Government of Jersey and the States of Guernsey

On the 7 July, the Tour des Ports de la Manche, annual regatta organised by the La Manche Department and the Granville Yacht Club, which links various ports in La Manche and visits Jersey and Guernsey, had its first departure from St Hélier, Jersey.

For this launch, the Government of Jersey, represented by Minister for Sustainable Economic Development, deputy Kirsten Morel, received the President of the La Manche department, Jean Morin, the President of the Société des Ports de la Manche, Damien Pillon, as well as the President of the Yacht Club of Granville, Gilles Lezan and the General coordinator for the Tour des Ports, Luc Berthillier.

All sailing lovers were invited to come along to support the teams and share this joyous moment of competitive sport. The “Team Raoul” said “[we are] happy to have had a small preparation day in Jersey which allowed us to slowly amp the positive tension in face of the departure [the next day].”

The teams left Saint-Hélier on Sunday 7 July, and took the direction of the port of Granville. On the 8, the boats went from Granville to Carteret.

On the 9 July, the teams went from the port of Carteret to Guernsey, where the island welcomed them warmly. Deputy Chris Blin, President of Overseas Aid & Development Commission congratulated all participants and thanked the organisation committee during the award ceremony and the dinner for the teams, which took place in Candie Garden, nearby the Victor Hugo statue.

The Channel Islands are keen to welcome Norman sailors every year and remain privileged partners of this sporting and friendly event that unites us beyond the boarder.

This year, Jersey has hosted the annual political summit with the departmental council of Ille-et-Vilaine, and the regional council of Brittany alongside Guernsey.

This summit, held at Greve de Lecq Barracks, highlighted the continued strength of these regional partnerships and the collaborative efforts fostered through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Jersey has benefited from fifteen years of joint working with the departmental council, while Guernsey joined the partnership in 2017. The MoU facilitates cooperation in numerous areas, including education, youth mobility, culture, arts, overseas aid, transport, and trade.

The MoU with Brittany, signed last year, encompasses economic development issues, education, and training, as well as maritime links covering transport, tourism, and relationships between ports and marine renewable energies.

On the morning of the 10 July, was held a session focused on links with Ille-et-Vilaine. A notable highlight was the successful artistic residency at Greve de Lecq Barracks, a collaboration between Art House Jersey, Guernsey Art House, and Les Ateliers du Vent from Rennes. Delegates previewed an exhibition at Capital House, showcasing the outcomes of it, with the official opening scheduled for 11 July.

The afternoon session was dedicated to strengthening ties with Brittany. Discussions covered various regional issues, including topics such as wind farms, sharing information on respective marine spatial plans, and broader political relationships and areas of mutual interest within Europe and the EU.

A key highlight of the day was the signing of a new MoU between the Ports of Jersey and the Region of Brittany. This agreement aims to develop a sustainable maritime route, or “green corridor,” between Jersey and St Malo. The MoU covers the sharing of expertise and studies, decarbonisation plans for maritime transport companies, and initiatives to be developed in marinas.

The summit was co-chaired by Deputy Gorst, Minister of External Relations and Deputy Morel, Minister of State for Economic Development. Attendees included Deputy Lyndon Farnham, Jersey’s Chief Minister as well as Deputy Le Tocq, President of the Committee for External relations in Guernsey. From the Ille-et-Vilaine department came Jean-Luc Chenut, President of the departmental council, his Vice-President in charge of Cultural Matters Denez Marchand, his councillor Michèle Motel, in charge of the relationship with the Channel Islands and Charlotte Faillé Part of the opposition party. On the Region’s side we could find Daniel Cueff, Vice-President in charge of maritime and coastal affairs, and Stéphane Perrin-Sarzier, Vice-President in charge of International Relations.

From left to right : Deputy Kirsten Morel (Jersey), Michèle Motel (Departmental Council), Denez Marchand (Departmental Council), Stéphane Perrin-Sarzier (Region), Jean-Luc Chenut (Departmental Council), Daniel Cueff (Region), Charlotte Faillé (Departmental Council), Deputy Lyndon Farnham (Jersey), Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq (Guernsey) and Deputy Ian Gorst (Jersey)

On 1 and 2 July, Jersey’s Minister for Sustainable Economic Development, Deputy Kirsten Morel, visited the towns of Rennes and St-Malo.

On the first day, he attended the International Open in Rennes. Numerous meetings were then held with Economic stakeholders from Brittany, such as Bretagne Commerce International (BCI). The Minister also discussed yachting opportunities with the Regional Council, met the Saint-Malo Tourism Board as well as the Bretagne Plaisance organisation.

During his visit, the Minister also had the opportunity to visit the Collège Moka in St-Malo and view an exhibition, with was the result of an artist residency run by Jersey local artist Kiera Melville from April to June 2024 (see our article from 4 May 2024). Throughout this period, Ms Melville taught art classes to secondary school students on a weekly basis and managed to extract their best artistic skills.

A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between the Government of Jersey and Rennes School of Business (RSB) which will give Islanders easier access to RSB’s world-class education and development.

This MoU was signed by Deputy Kirsten Morel, Minister for Sustainable Economic Development of Jersey, and Adilson Borges, Rennes School of Business’ Dean and General Director, during a Ministerial visit to Rennes and St-Malo, from 1 July to 2 July.

The agreement is expected to lead to greater opportunities for executive business1 education for those already in business, and to supporting students who would like to study RSB’ undergraduate degrees taught in English at the school.

RSB, ranked by the Financial Times as one of World’s Top 100 schools for custom programmes, has already been represented at Jersey’s Higher Education Fair.

The French Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Her Excellency Hélène Tréheux-Duchêne has visited Jersey and Guernsey respectively on the 11 and 12 June. This was the Ambassador’s first official visit to the islands since her appointment in 2022.

Jersey

Left to right: Deputy Ian Gorst, Ambassador Hélène Tréheux-Duchêne, Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham

The agenda for Ambassador Duchêne’s visit in Jersey included a series of high-level meetings with Ministers and senior officials, focusing on education, culture, connectivity, and economic links. Her Excellency had the opportunity to meet with the Chief Minister, Deputy Lyndon Farnham; the Minister for External Relations, Deputy Ian Gorst; the Minister for Sustainable Economic Development, Deputy Kirsten Morel, and the Minister for the Environment, Deputy Steve Luce.

During her visit, the Ambassador met Jersey’s Lieutenant-Governor, His Excellency Vice Admiral Jerry Kyd CBE. The Ambassador also had the opportunity to sample a unique Jersey-France dish created as a collaboration between Franco-British Young Leader Gregory Cuilleron and Joe Baker at Petchi. Additionally, she toured Mont Orgueil Castle on the afternoon and attended an official dinner hosted by the Bailiff in the evening.

The Ambassador also toured the Entente Cordiale exhibition at the Société Jersiaise on the morning of 11 June.

Commenting on the Ambassador’s visit, Minister for External Relations, Deputy Ian Gorst said: “I am delighted to welcome Her Excellency, Hélène Duchêne, to Jersey. Our rich history of cultural and people to people links means that France will always be one of Jersey’s closest partners as well as our closest neighbour. This visit is an opportunity to remember our shared past and discuss how we can co-operate even more closely in the future, especially in areas such as renewable energy, education, and trade. As we celebrate 120 years of the Entente Cordiale between Britain and France, what better place to highlight this enduring relationship and look to the future than Jersey.”

Guernesey

Left to right: Chief Minister Lyndon Trott, Ambassador Hélène Tréheux-Duchêne, Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq

On the 12 June, whilst in Guernsey, the Ambassador met the Chief Minister, Deputy Lyndon Trott, and other members of the Policy & Resources Committee, and members of the Committee for the Environment & Infrastructure, the Committee for Economic Development and the Committee for Education, Sport and Culture.

Meetings with politicians focussed on the island’s current priorities, energy, trade and the economy, financial services, environmental initiatives and sustainable finance, Guernsey’s relationship with the EU, and the bilateral relationship with France. The Ambassador also visited Hauteville (Victor Hugo) House, Candie Museum and the Priaulx Library during her time in the island to reflect the special cultural links between Guernsey and France.

Deputy Trott said:

“I was delighted to be able to welcome the French Ambassador to Guernsey for her first visit here.

The relationship with France, as our nearest neighbour and regional partner, is vitally important to Guernsey’s government. Discussions during the Ambassador’s time in the island focussed on our historic and existing links and looked to build on those for future opportunities. My political colleagues and I look forward to continuing to engage with Her Excellency and her team at the Embassy in future.”

Ambassador Duchêne’s involvement in the recent D-Day commemorations, including her attendance at the Portsmouth ceremony on 5 June, highlights her commitment to commemorating historical ties. This visit represented an important milestone in reinforcing the deep cultural and historical bonds between the Channel Islands and France, and in fostering ongoing and future co-operation between the neighbours.

To mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, a delegation from Jersey and Guernsey visited Normandy.

Deputy Bailiff Robert MacRae and Minister for External Relations Deputy Ian Gorst attended to represent Jersey while Chief Minister Deputy Lyndon Trott, External Relations lead Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq and Bailiff of Guernsey Sir Richard MacMahon represented their island.

During the visit, they attended the tribute to civilian victims’ ceremony in St-Lo in the presence of Emmanuel Macron.

The next day, they attended the commemoration at the British Normandy Memorial at Ver-sur-Mer, which was also attended by King Charles, French President Emmanuel Macron, current Prime Minister Keir Starmer and dozens of British veterans who landed there on 6 June 1944. The Channel Islands delegation could engage with them all.

The Channel Islands representatives then attended the French and American Commemoration at Omaha beach along with US veterans, American President Joe Biden, President Macron and Prince William.

On the night of the 6 June, Bailiff of Guernsey Sir Richard McMahon and Deputy Bailiff of Jersey Robert MacRae laid wreaths at the memorial of the Royal Engineers at Pegasus Bridge where Jersey engineer, the late Clive Kemp, landed on 6 June 1944 and drove through enemy lines.

The Deputy Bailiff of Jersey said: “It is important that we never forget the service and sacrifice of those who fought to liberate Europe and secure for us the freedoms which we continue to enjoy today.”

On the 7 June they attended the international ceremony in Cherbourg. Among dignitaries attending was French president Emmanuel Macron.

Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq said: “I felt privileged to have been invited by President Macron as well as our close friends in the Normandy administration to a number of significant and different events to mark the 80th anniversary. We were also guests of the British Legion at a service of commemoration at the British Memorial at Ver-sur-Mer, in the presence of the King and Queen,” he said. “It was especially moving to hear the testimonies of those few veterans who were present.”

A Channel Islands delegation, comprising pupils from Jersey and Alderney, travelled to France on 4 June to attend a dedicated Olympic Day, on invitation by the department of Ille-et-Vilaine.

The Channel Islands team, along with teams from Romania and Rennes’ schools, participated in an opening ceremony parade, with torch and flag bearers running around the stadium. Students tried their hand at various Olympic sports throughout the day, ranging from the ancient disciplines of long jump and fencing to the addition of more recent Olympic sports such as break dancing. A real highlight of the day was the highly competitive Paralympic wheelchair racing, with the chance also to meet with a Paralympian table tennis player.  The day finished with a closing ceremony and an opportunity to visit the Department of Ille-et-Vilaine council chamber to meet with the President and learn about the region and the Department’s growing partnership with the Channel Islands.

A great show of continuous links between the Channel Islands and their close neighbours from Brittany.

Here is what children expressed about this visit:

“It was a fantastic experience meeting other French speaking students as well as pupils from Alderney and Romania too. Everyone was so friendly and it was great to be part of the team and really feel the Olympic spirit.”

“My favourite part was being the Flag bearer in the Olympic parade and playing football with the Romanian team on the beach in the evening.”

“I enjoyed being in France, tasting the French food and loved the wheelchair relay race!”

“I’ve never had a go at fencing before. We learnt so much, and I found out I was pretty good at it! Doing the presentation in French and the dance was challenging, but I’m proud to have represented the Channel Islands”

“I enjoyed trying out all the sports and even got to run around the indoor 200 metre track with some of the pupils from Alderney.”

As part of cooperation with the Department of Ille et Vilaine, and its annual artist residency in college, the Government of Jersey proposed, supported and coordinated a project combining artistic and linguistic practice.

Jersey artist Kiera Melville was selected for a 6-week residency with Year 9 pupils from Collège Moka in St Malo.

In the Olympic year, work around disabled sports was planned… but the verdict will be on the 6 June during the opening of the exhibition, to discover the work of the students, carried by the Jersey artist.

As part of the cooperation agreement between La Fabrique de Patrimoines, Jersey Heritage, La Société Jersiaise and Guernsey Museums and Galleries (renewed in 2023), members of the Norman museum network visited the Channel Islands from 17 to 19 April 2024. Among the visitors, the Schlumberger Museum Foundation, the Normandy Museum, the Granville Museums (Musée d’Art Moderne Richard Anacréon and Musée d’Art et d’Histoire de Granville), a representative of the DRAC and others from the Fabrique de Patrimoines.

On 17 April, participants arrived in Guernsey, where they visited the Guernsey Museum, as well as the German Naval Signals Museum.

The 18 April took place in Jersey, with a visit at La Hougue Bie to discuss the Le Câtillon’s coin hoard, followed by a visit to the Jersey Archives organised by Jersey Heritage. A time for discussion with the Société Jersiaise also took place.

A discovery visit to draw new avenues of cooperation between Norman and Channel Islands museums.

On 12 and 14 March, the Higher Education Fairs were held respectively in Jersey and Guernsey.

On March 12 in Jersey, Rennes Business School and the University of Caen (UniCaen) attended to the Higher Education Fair to promote a rich, varied and geographically close education to young learners of the island. On 14 March, the UniCaen team travelled to Guernsey to present at the Higher Education fair.

These relationships are formalized around a cooperation agreement, renewed in 2023 for Jersey. They enable students from the Channel Islands to come in Caen-Normandy and strengthen their language skills (DUEF) and then, if they wish, continue their university path in France, getting as close as possible to French culture, alongside other international students.

From Monday 12 February to Wednesday 14 February 2024, a delegation from the Channel Islands went to Paris to meet different political actors. Among them, French senators and deputies members of the study group on the Channel Islands (=APPG), the president of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the National Assembly, officers of the British Embassy in Paris, the British ambassador to the UNESCO and the Irish ambassador to France.

This delegation comprised the Minister of Sustainable Economic Development of Jersey, Deputy Kirsten Morel and the Member of the Policy and Resources Committee with responsibility for external relations in Guernsey, Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq. Meetings took place in a warm atmosphere with relevant discussions on the future of cooperation with the Channel Islands.

Ministers prioritised the Channel Islands’ commitment to fostering positive relations with France and other European partners, while maintaining close cooperation across various shared interests. Both Guernsey and Jersey have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Normandy Region and La Manche Department, as well as with the Brittany Region and the Ille-et-Vilaine Department respectively.

Minister Kirsten Morel highlighted the enduring links between France and Jersey politically, culturally and historically, while emphasizing the importance of strengthening these connections with its nearest neighbour:

“Our discussions underscored the importance of regional cooperation between the Channel Islands and France and our joint commitment to further developing this collaboration. Additionally, we’ve engaged with principal political stakeholders in Paris discussing key areas of interest such as connectivity. This engagement allowed us to explore potential economic and commercial ties, working towards a sustainable and resilient future, for which France plays an important role.”

Reflecting on the visit, Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq remarked:

“France is a key European partner, with whom we share historic, cultural and geographic links.  As Guernsey continues to develop its international identity and bilateral relations with partners around the world, this visit provided a timely opportunity to further strengthen our working relationship with the central authorities in Paris as part of our good neighbour policy, supporting the ongoing and positive engagement that we have with our regional partners in Normandy and Brittany. The visit enabled discussion on a range of issues that are priorities for Guernsey, such as energy and connectivity, on which we have shared interests with France. I look forward to continuing to work closely with our sister island of Jersey as we continue to further develop this relationship with our closest European neighbour.”

Since 23 November, the two fisheries of Jersey and Cotentin have obtained their third (2011, 2016 and 2023) “Sustainable Fishing” certification, an eco-label awarded by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), an international environmental NGO which has been fighting since 25 years, against overfishing for the preservation of marine resources.

This is the only existing cross-border certification. For this certification, the experts rely on three major criteria:

• the limited impact of fishing practices on ecosystems, “fishing which is done using pots, placed on the bottom and which do not move”, specifies Caroline Gamelin, fishing manager for MSC.
• The efficient and responsive management system with, for example, verification of the number of pots on board vessels, the compulsory use of escape devices for juvenile lobsters,
• And the good health of the resource

“MSC re-certification, … is an international recognition of our good practices, the continuity of our commitments towards sustainable and responsible fishing, better still, the opportunity to look for increasingly reliable management models” says Marc Delahaye, director of the Normandy Regional Committee for Maritime Fisheries and Marine Farming.

Jersey is pleased and proud to have received a recertification of the MSC Lobster fishery jointly held with Normandy. Recertification under the newer standard required evidence of good management and quality research data. Ensuring a sustainable lobster fishery is a key objective for the island’s fishing community and one that is supported fully by the Government’s Marine Resources team.

Hervé Morin, President of the Normandy region, visited the French Embassy in London. This visit aims to strengthen the historical and cultural ties that unite Normandy and England, initiate cooperation projects in view of the celebrations organized by the Region for the thousandth anniversary of the birth of William the Conqueror in 2027 but also promote the next edition of the Normandy Impressionist Festival which will take place from 22 March to 22 September 2024 throughout Normandy.

Hervé Morin had invited his Jersey partners and was thus able to meet the Assistant Chief Minister (also Minister of Economic Development in charge of Culture), and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs to reaffirm the wish to continue our cultural cooperation, and to discuss perspectives of joint projects to be carried out.

Guernsey has hosted the annual political summit with the departmental council of la Manche, the regional council of Normandy and Jersey.

The annual summit has been held since 2015, when a cooperation agreement was signed between Jersey, Guernsey, La Manche, and the then region of Lower Normandy. As part of the cooperation agreement, representatives from each jurisdiction meet each year to explore how they can work together.

During the summit, discussions covered various topics including post-Brexit issues such as fishing, customs & immigration matters; marine renewable energies; emergency planning; cultural links, such as language and education; and connectivity. Consideration was also given to broader political relationships and areas of mutual interest within Europe and the EU.

At the summit meeting Guernsey was represented by Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq, member of the Policy and Resources Committee with responsibility for external relations; Deputy Neil Inder, President of the Committee for Economic Development; Deputy Rob Prow, President of the Committee for Home Affairs; Deputy Lindsay De Sausmarez, President of the Committee for the Environment and Infrastructure; and Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen, President of the Committee for Education, Sport and Culture.

Jersey was represented by the Deputy Chief Minister, Deputy Kirsten Morel; Deputy Helen Miles, Minister for Home Affairs; and Deputy Jonathan Renouf, Minister for Environment.

The departmental council of La Manche was represented by its President, Jean Morin; the regional council of Normandy was represented by its Vice President, François-Xavier Priollaud in charge of international relations; and the Préfecture of La Manche, representing the French State in the region, was represented by the Prefect Xavier Brunetière and his Deputy Prefect Stéphanie Petitjean.

The French Department of Ille-et-Vilaine (St Malo/Rennes area) is offering a priority opportunity for one young person aged 18-25 from the Channel Islands to volunteer for the French civic service programme ahead of the Paris Olympics.

The priority for the Channel Islands is only open until 15 August, after which time the opportunity will be opened more widely across the French Department of Ille-et-Vilaine.  The successful candidate will contribute to the organisation of sporting events in the region from November 2023 to June 2024, ahead of the Olympic Games next July.

The opportunity – organised and run in its entirety by the French Department of Ille-et-Vilaine – forms part of the Government of Jersey’s and States of Guernsey’s work to improve sporting ties with France.

The volunteer will be hosted by the Departmental Olympic and Sports Committee (CDOS) of Ille et Vilaine ( http://www.le-sport35.com/ )

Criteria and conditions:

• The assignment is for a period of 8 months from November 2023 until the end of June 2024
• Open to any Channel Islander aged 18-25, passionate about sport. Applicants should practice sport (any, no restriction) and do not necessarily need to study it
• Fluency in French to be able to communicate is essential
• Volunteers will be accommodated in a youth residence (ex: Foyer de jeunes travailleurs, in a single room)
• The volunteer will also receive a civic service allowance of €489.59/month
• The volunteer will have to ask for a long stay French visa, which costs €99

Please find below a description of last year’s programme (in French):

MISSION SERVICE CIVIQUE – CDOS 35

If anyone would like to apply or needs more information, they should contact: Sandrine Douaran (Chargée de mission Education, Citoyenneté, Olympisme) at sandrinedouaran@franceolympique.com .

On 15 June 2023 in Caen, the partnership agreement between Jersey Heritage, Guernsey Museums & Galleries and the Fabrique de Patrimoines was renewed for five years. The three structures have been joined by the Société Jersiaise, which is joining this partnership for the first time.

The cooperation was initially formalized in 2018 in Guernsey in order to facilitate communication and exchanges between the museums of the Normandy Museums Network and the Jersey and Guernsey museums. The Channel Islands being intimately linked to Normandy through their history, their archaeological, maritime and legal heritage – Norman customary law still being partly in force in the Channel Islands – formalized cultural cooperation was therefore obvious.

After several attempts of meetings aborted due to the pandemic, the representatives of the four structures were able to visit the Château de Caen, the Normandy Museum and the Bayeux Tapestry. This was followed by a visit to the Pegasus Memorial and the Pegasus Bridge, which after being damaged during the bombings of 1944, was temporarily replaced by a “Bailey” bridge, built by British soldiers, and in particular the famous Clive Kemp, a young Jersey soldier who had lied about his age to be able to go to fight and whose ashes now lie since 2019 at the foot of this bridge. They had landed in Sword Beach on the very morning of 6 June 1944 with the primary mission of building parallel temporary bridges to all the bridges that would be destroyed.

The delegation’s visit ended this Friday in Saint Vaast-La-Hougue, on the island of Tatihou.

The agreement was signed by the director of the Fabrique de Patrimoines, Carine Lavocat, the director of Guernsey Museums & Galleries, Helen Glencross as well as the director of Jersey Heritage, Jon Carter and the president of the Jersey Society, Rebecca Bailhache. It is the direct result of cooperation between the Normandy region, the Manche department, the Government of Jersey and the States of Guernsey.

Helen Glencross, Director of Guernsey Museums & Galleries said: “Guernsey Museums is delighted to be renewing our membership of the Normandy Museums Network. We welcome this exciting cultural collaboration and look forward to working with our partners in the future to celebrate our shared heritage”.

Jon Carter, director of Jersey Heritage, also rejoiced: “Heritage is sometimes about what is unique and distinctive about a place – more often it is about common ground, the stories we share and the identities that bring us together. The shared heritage of the Anglo-Norman Islands and the region of the Normano-Breton Gulf is exceptionally deep.  This cultural relationship goes back a very long way – but equally, it is vibrant and growing today. There are many opportunities to explore the shared cultural inheritance and we very much look forward to continuing to work with the Fabrique du Patrimoine network and Norman museum colleagues through this partnership.”

The president of the Jersey Society, Rebecca Bailhache was also delighted with the signing of the agreement: “The Société Jersiaise is delighted to sign this partnership agreement with La Fabrique, and we are keen to develop links with Normandy. We are fortunate to have links with France through our field archaeologist, librarian and photo archivist, so we see many opportunities for collaboration. We are also grateful to BIAN (Bureau of the Channel Islands) for organizing this alliance. »

For Carine Lavocat, temporary director of the Fabrique de patrimoines in Normandy: “We are enthusiastic about renewing this partnership with the heritage stakeholders of the Channel Islands. The Fabrique de Patrimoines is committed to facilitating cooperation between the museums of Normandy and the heritage actors of the Channel Islands, in line with the wishes of the network’s museum members. The signature of the convention and this first meeting between museums will allow, we hope, other actions of cultural cooperation between our territories.”

Guernsey has hosted the annual political summit with the departmental council of Ille-et- Vilaine, and for the first time has hosted a meeting with the regional council of Brittany.

During the summit, the governments of Guernsey and Jersey renewed their partnership (Memorandum of Understanding) with the departmental council of Ille et Vilaine for another three years. Jersey has enjoyed fifteen years of joint working with the departmental council and Guernsey officially joined the partnership in 2017. The Memorandum of Understanding facilitates joint working in a number of areas, including education, youth mobility, culture, arts, overseas aid, transport and trade.

Guernsey and Jersey have also signed for the first time a Memorandum of Understanding with the region of Brittany. This partnership will open discussions on economic development issues, education, and training, as well as maritime links encompassing transport, tourism, and relationships between ports and marine renewable energies.

The meetings covered many regional issues, as well as enabling discussions with regional partners on strategic issues such as broader political relationships and areas of mutual interest within Europe and the EU.

At the meetings Guernsey was represented by Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq, member of the Policy and Resources Committee with responsibility for external relations; Jersey was represented by the Chief Minister, Deputy Kristina Moore, and Minister for External Relations, Deputy Philip Ozouf; the departmental council of Ille et Vilaine was represented by Michèle Motel, departmental councillor responsible for international solidarity and cooperation; the regional council of Brittany was represented by its Vice President, Daniel Cueff; and the Préfecture of Brittany, representing the French State in the region, was represented by diplomatic advisor Jean-Baptiste Chauvin.

Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq, member of the Policy & Resources Committee in Guernsey with responsibility for external relations, said:

 “It was a great pleasure to host the annual summit of the governments of Guernsey and Jersey and the authorities of Ille et Vilaine, and to welcome representatives from the regional council of Brittany who joined these engagements for the first time.

Guernsey has important existing social and cultural links with the department of Ille et Vilaine and our annual summit gives us an opportunity to review the constructive and varied work carried out by our jurisdictions together during the year on matters covered by our partnership. Renewing this partnership for a further three years further underlines the value we place on maintaining and strengthening our relationship with the department. The summit also enabled us to reaffirm Guernsey’s continued support for joint overseas aid projects, through the collaboration of the Overseas Aid & Development Commission and the department of Ille et Vilaine.

I was also pleased to be able to sign a new partnership with the regional council of Brittany, which will enable us to deepen the connections that we have with the whole of this significant region to the south of us. In the French political system regions have different mandates and responsibilities to departments and so this new partnership will enable us to focus on new areas as well as build on our existing links, working with some of our closest neighbours. I look forward to the further development of projects under this cooperation agreement to the benefit of us all.”

Deputy Kristina Moore, Chief Minister of Jersey said:

 “I was very pleased to join our French colleagues in Guernsey for a Summit with the Department of Ille et Vilaine and the Region of Brittany, alongside the Minister for External Relations.

 “We spoke about several thematic issues of mutual interest, including maritime links, sport, and culture. We also renewed our existing partnership agreement with the Department and formalised links with the Regional of Brittany through the signing of a new agreement.

 “As a government we are determined to work together with our French counterparts to find positive outcomes for us all.”

Deputy Philip Ozouf, Minister for External Relations of Jersey said:

“I was very pleased to travel to Guernsey for the annual summit of the governments of Jersey and Guernsey and the Department of Ille et Vilaine, and for the first time to meet with partners from the regional council of Brittany.

  Jersey has a close and productive relationship with our cousins in Ille et Vilaine based on our shared history and personal connections. Since we entered into this more formal partnership, we have seen an increase in activity and projects across areas including culture and education. The fact that we are renewing our partnership is testimony to the enduring nature of our links and I look forward to working together on projects over the next three years.

  For the first time we signed a new partnership with the regional council of Brittany, which can only strengthen our existing relationships. I am excited about the opportunities that this will lead to for future collaboration. Our regional links with Brittany are very important to us and formalising this can only make our connection stronger.”

Jean Luc Chenut, President of the departmental council of Ille et Vilaine said:

 “It is with pleasure that I am alongside our partners in Jersey and Guernsey who do us the honour of welcoming us on the occasion of the annual cooperation meeting between our Department and the two Bailiwicks.

This is an opportunity for us to renew the partnership which materializes the friendship and close relations between our jurisdictions. The new cooperation agreement will give new impetus to the long-standing links between Ille-et-Vilaine and the Channel Islands on various themes: education, tourism, international solidarity and the environment in particular.

I am very attached to this collaboration and I wish to ensure the strengthening of these close and sharing ties that contribute to the enrichment of our respective jurisdictions over the long term.”

Loïg Chesnais-Girard, President of the regional council of Brittany said:

“While Brexit could have divided us, it has instead helped to bring the Channel Islands becoming closer to Brittany and Normandy. I thank our partners in Jersey and Guernsey for having favoured the path of dialogue and cooperation. I am convinced that this path will best defend the interest of all our citizens.”

 The President of La Manche, Jean Morin, has visited Guernsey this week on his first formal visit to the island since being elected President of the departmental council in July 2021. The visit provided an opportunity to discuss a range of topics of mutual interest, with a particular focus on environmental matters including energy, climate change, and active travel.

Guernsey has a strong relationship with Normandy and in particular the departmental council of La Manche. This is formalised through a cooperation agreement with Normandy, La Manche and Jersey, which covers four priority areas: governmental links; economic development, tourism and transport; education, sports, culture and heritage; and environment and marine renewable energy. Alderney and Sark are associate members of this agreement.

During the visit President Morin met with Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq, Policy & Resources Committee member with responsibility for external relations, and Deputy Lindsay de Sausmarez, President of the Committee for the Environment & Infrastructure, as well as officers from the States of Guernsey and representatives of Guernsey Electricity. Discussions covered Guernsey and La Manche’s respective responses to climate change, energy generation and interconnectors, and active travel. The President was also able to see the ‘School Street’ initiative at St Martin’s Primary School and have a demonstration of the ‘Walking Cycling Guernsey’ app, which was released in 2019 to make information on Ruettes Tranquilles easily accessible to those out and about across the Island.

On 19 December, the Jersey Minister for External Relations, Deputy Philip Ozouf, met with the French Minister of State for Europe, Ms. Laurence Boone, and the French Secretary of State for the Sea, Mr. Hervé Berville in Paris.

The meeting – which was held at the Ministry for Europe & Foreign Affairs – focused on a range of mutual areas of interest, including fisheries; energy cooperation; inbound travel arrangements for French visitors; tourism; trade; education; and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Upon his return to the Island, the Minister commented:

“It was great to meet with Ms. Boone and Mr. Berville in Paris. This is a meeting I have been eager to have, as there are several areas on which further discussions were useful – notably fisheries and the ongoing challenges faced by French nationals wishing to visit the Island.

“Having the opportunity to discuss these matters in person, face-to-face, is invaluable. We made progress on several matters that may not have been possible otherwise. I would also like to thank the British Embassy in Paris for their continued support.

“Strengthening and developing our relations with France, across a range of different sectors and areas of mutual interest, is a core objective within our new Common Policy for External Relations. It is also of great personal importance too.

“I am looking forward to building upon what we have achieved so far and continuing our efforts into the New Year”.

Nb: It meant to be a pan island visit to Paris but the Guernsey Minister was unfortunately unable to travel and was represented by officers.

The annual Summit of the Channel Islands, the Manche department and the Normandy region, which has been held since 2015 alternately in the Channel Islands and Normandy, is taking place this year in Caen at the Abbaye aux Dames, one of the jewels of Norman heritage and headquarters of the Regional Council of Normandy.

Jonathan Le Tocq and Philip Ozouf, Ministers of External Relations of Guernsey and Jersey were able to discuss with their host Hervé Morin, President of Normandy, and Jean Morin President of the Manche department. The Jersey Chief Minister Kristina Moore et Ian Carter, States Member of the States of Alderney joined the discussion by video conference.

The 2022 agenda of this strategic meeting focused on three main issues that affect all parties: the consequences of Brexit and its impact on mobility, trade and fisheries; general bilateral relations in terms of education, culture, sport and trade; and the consequences of climate change on coastal areas, common issues to our territories. This last subject was the topic of an afternoon visit to the wave canals at the Builders for Society engineering school in Epron and the breakwater equipped with bio-sourced concrete blocks from the CHERLOC project in Ouistreham.

The summit was also an opportunity to present an annual review of regional cooperation in terms of education, culture, trade, tourism and other projects related to this partnership.

Finally, it marked the renewal of the cooperation agreement for another three years, confirming the continued desire of all parties to work closely together in areas of mutual interest.

A Channel Islands delegation composed of the Ministers of External Relations of Jersey and Guernsey (respectively Deputy Philip Ozouf and Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq) and the Minister of Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture of Jersey (Deputy Kirsten Morel) visited Rennes on 18 October.

In a post-Brexit world, the islands want to rebuild trust and reaffirm long-standing ties in a wide range of areas, including culture, economy, tourism and education.

In the field of art and culture, the Jersey government’s 2022-27 strategy recognizes the need to develop much stronger cultural relations and artistic exchanges with European countries, and with France in particular.

Rennes is a dynamic city rich in artistic and cultural experiences. The purpose of this visit was mainly to meet Breton cultural institutions with a view to discussing respective approaches and visions, to consider future collaborations, and to meet historical partners.

The day began with a visit to the cultural centre Les Champs Libres, which fully meets the objectives identified in Jersey’s cultural strategy and which could become an inspiring model for the future cultural centre of Jersey. It was followed by a visit to the Rennes Opera as part of the Opera on screens operation, of which Jersey and Guernsey have been partners for many years. An inspiring encounter, the opera implementing innovative actions throughout the year to open up culture to various audiences. A visit to the Ateliers du Vent provided an opportunity to discover this place of creation which echoes the work of Art House Jersey and Guernsey Arts Commission in favour of artists and local creation, and to consider joint projects between Channel Islands and French artists in residence.

Throughout the day, the ministers also met with representatives of the Regional Council of Brittany to present the new government of Jersey and develop concrete actions in areas such as transport, yachting and tourism. In addition, a meeting with the department of Ille et Vilaine also took place within the framework of the cooperation already established with the Department for many years, and with which new avenues of cooperation in terms of culture have been identified.

Jersey’s first female Chief Minister took office on Monday 11 July.

Deputy Kristina Moore is the first woman to lead the island’s government. This follows Island-wide elections that saw women win a record 21 of the 49 seats in the States Assembly, the island’s parliament.

Kristina has now formed a new government following Ministerial elections earlier this week, resulting in the Island’s first gender-balanced Council of Ministers.

With Jersey’s civil service already led by Suzanne Wylie, two of the most prominent positions in the island are now held by women.

Kristina has been involved in Jersey politics for 11 years and previously served as home affairs minister.

A 47-year-old former journalist, she grew up in North Devon and moved to Jersey in 2000 when she was offered a job in local television, before entering island politics in 2011.

As home affairs minister from 2014 to 2018 she set up an action plan to improve intervention in the first two years of a child’s life and oversaw reform of Jersey’s domestic abuse and sexual offences laws.

From 2018 to 2022 she chaired key parliamentary scrutiny committees which oversee the government’s work.

In 2013 she made her diagnosis of breast cancer public to raise awareness of the condition. Following treatment she made a full recovery.

An independent with no party affiliation, she was elected Chief Minister by the States Assembly in a vote last week.

She is married with two children.

~~~~~~

Suzanne Wylie has been Chief Executive of Jersey’s civil service since February 2022.

Originally from Northern Ireland, she served as Chief Executive of Belfast Council from 2014 to 2022 before moving to Jersey to take up her role on the island.

She began working for her local council in Belfast straight out of university in 1988.  At the time, she was one of only a few women working in an operational environment.

She later moved across local government, developing expertise in regeneration, capital programmes, economic development, health protection and customer services.

In her seven and a half years as Chief Executive of Belfast Council, she was policy adviser to eight diverse political parties and reshaped the organisation and its capability to deliver a 25-year plan.

She set up and led many stakeholder partnerships to ensure better targeting of resources to meet the needs of local people.  This included community safety, health improvement, business innovation, and family support.

She is married with three grown-up children.

Since the publication of Jersey’s cultural strategy at Spring time, a new start has been made to relaunch cultural links with France and work more closely on joint projects. To achieve this, officers from Jersey and Guernsey travelled to neighbouring Rennes to meet major cultural institutions, discuss respective approaches and visions, discover the work carried out, and consider future collaborations.

The technical aspect was ensured by the presence of Jersey Art House and Art for Guernsey, who were able to discover the opportunities with Rennes in terms of visual arts.

Public Channel France 2 visited the Channel Islands earlier this year, which resulted to the broadcast this week of short documentaries on the Channel Islands, at the end of the daily lunch news update. Over 5 minutes episode, each day, on national news, dedicated to a uniqueness of one of our islands:

• Monday 23 May : Ile d’Aurigny : un paradis sauvage en plein cœur de la Manche (Alderney : wild paradise at the heart of the Channel)

https://www.francetvinfo.fr/economie/tourisme/ile-daurigny-un-paradis-sauvage-en-plein-coeur-de-la-manche_5154529.html

• Tuesday 24 May: Les délices gastronomiques de Jersey (Jersey’s gastronomic delights)

https://www.francetvinfo.fr/sante/alimentation/iles-anglo-normandes-les-delices-gastronomiques-de-jersey_5156455.html

• Wednesday 25 May : Guernesey, terre d’exil de Victor Hugo (Guernsey, land of exil for Victor Hugo)

https://www.francetvinfo.fr/monde/royaume-uni/ile-anglo-normande-guernesey-terre-d-exil-de-victor-hugo_5158861.html

• Thursday 26 May: Sark

https://www.francetvinfo.fr/replay-jt/france-2/13-heures/iles-anglo-normandes-un-paradis-pour-tous_5161144.html

• Friday 27 May : Jersey and Guernsey’s identities

https://www.francetvinfo.fr/economie/impots/paradis-fiscaux/iles-anglo-normandes-direction-guernesey-et-jersey_5163019.html

As part of the ongoing cooperation, Jersey and Guernsey have attended the annual political summit with the departmental council of Ille-et-Vilaine to review how they have been working together.

The departmental council of Ille et Vilaine hosted the 2022 summit in Rennes; the first time that the meeting has taken place in person since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. The cooperation agreement, between Guernsey, Jersey and the departmental council of Ille et Vilaine, renewed in 2020 for a period of three years, facilitates joint working in a number of areas, including education, youth mobility, culture and arts, overseas aid, transport and trade. It also enables discussions on strategic issues such as the impact on the Channel Islands of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

As part of the cooperation between the Department of Ille et Vilaine and the Guernsey Overseas Aid Commission on international solidarity, a charity from Ille et Vilaine, Youth and Development, opened its summer solidarity trip to Senegal to young Channel Islanders. The President of the association, Tahir THIAM, travelled to Guernsey and Jersey on 29 and 30 April to meet interested young people and their families, to present the stay and its solidarity missions.

During the three weeks, the aim is to allow each volunteer to take a step back from their family and professional situation and contribute to improving the living conditions of people with disabilities, working in the field of health, environmental education, social economy and coastal protection.

Mr Thiam was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the welcome from his hosts and considered this trip very beneficial “I would say that my meetings with the families, the young people and with Jersey Overseas Aid and Guernsey Overseas Aid have been very rich, motivating and breathe new life our desire to promote the international mobility of young people. »

Three young Channel Islanders are now registered to take part in this stay with four young Bretons. A trip, which beyond international solidarity, will allow to open up to other cultures and to lead a linguistic improvement (both for young Anglophones and Francophones!). The cohesion of the group has already started with frequent exchanges through a secured “chat” platform.

Next step is the trip early August, and its feedback in Ille et Vilaine and the Channel Islands by the then “ambassadors” to promote the initiative to potential participants of the future solidarity trips.

Islanders can enjoy direct flights to France this summer as Blue Islands launches a new twice weekly service from to Rennes from Jersey and Guernsey. Located in the beautiful Brittany region of France, Rennes Airport provides easy access to the surrounding area with a flight time of just 40 minutes.

Rob Veron, CEO Blue Islands said, “Our twice weekly service to France this summer is an exciting addition to our network. As well as being a wonderful city to discover, with car hire, bus and TGV connections, Rennes is an ideal gateway to France.”

Commencing 20 June 2022, the initial 12-week series of flights will operate on Monday and Friday afternoons, perfect for flexible 3-night weekend breaks, 2-week holidays, or longer stays to make the most of your holiday home or rented gîte. It is possible to fly from Guernsey with a short connection in Jersey. Blue Islands will continually review demand, adding additional flights if required.

Not only is Rennes the perfect access point for holidays in Brittany, with high-speed TGV trains you can be in Paris in around 90 minutes.

As of 7 February 2022, Jersey’s Covid travel restrictions were reduced and inbound travellers are now no longer required to complete passenger locator forms before arrival, have any type of testing or be vaccinated.  Since 1 January 2021, travellers from France entering Jersey are subject to different immigration controls.

As members of the Common Travel Area (CTA) Jersey has obligations to align its immigration control to that of the United Kingdom. The CTA works in the same way as the Schengen Area, where there are no internal immigration border controls and there is an equal external immigration border.  The main difference since 1 November 2021, is that EU nationals must have a passport to travel to the UK or Jersey, other than a few exceptions.  However due to Jersey’s close links with France, specifically Normandy and Brittany, Jersey’s Home Affairs Minister has introduced some amendments to the external immigration border control used in the UK, which allows EU nationals to benefit when coming to Jersey.

Unlike the UK immigration controls;

• The Jersey Customs & Immigration Service operates a system which allows EU children in organised school groups to continue to travel to Jersey using their national Identity cards.
• A system is in place to allow French private boat owners to come ashore directly onto the Les Ecrehous or Les Minquiers or anywhere on the Island of Jersey on the basis that an online Customs & Immigration declaration is submitted before arrival.  The declaration is an ‘intelligent’ form which grants permission to visit the Bailiwick of Jersey without having to directly interact with a Customs & Immigration Officer.
• Small business owners from France can continue to come to Jersey as part of the Norman-French market and sell their produce without the need for a visa or a permit.

These systems do not compromise the external border of the CTA but do promote the valued relationship the Island of Jersey has with its nearest French neighbours.

The Jersey Customs & Immigration Service have published the requirements for those visiting the Island below;

Visa and passport requirements for those coming to Jersey (gov.je)

Private marine vessels customs and immigration requirements (gov.je)

The Bailiwick of Guernsey has today announced its roadmap to issuing fishing licences to French vessels under the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (‘the TCA’). These licences will enable qualifying French vessels to continue to fish in Bailiwick waters under the new TCA licensing regime.

When the transition period ended on 31 December 2020, it had been anticipated that a new licensing regime, established using a track record period in accordance with TCA, would be in effect by 1 April 2021.  Due to ongoing UK-EU technical work, the interim regime has been extended on a monthly basis since the end of March to allow this work to progress. On 23 September, the Committee for Economic Development agreed a roadmap to enable new licences to be issued in line with obligations under the TCA, which will bring the interim fisheries regime to an end.

The Bailiwick has received evidence to support applications by French vessels to fish in Bailiwick waters in line with the TCA, and during October the review of this data will be finalised, and the qualifying vessels will be confirmed. The Bailiwick will then inform the European Commission (via the UK) of general licence conditions, before issuing the TCA licenses to all qualifying vessels by 1 December 2021.  The licences will only take effect on 1 February 2022, so that vessel owners have time to review their licences and raise any queries before they take effect. The Bailiwick also commits to extending the current interim authorisation monthly until 31 January 2022 for all vessels, to provide certainty and stability in the meantime.

The licences will contain placeholders for more technical conditions which may also be introduced. These relate to how the “extent and nature” provision in art. 502 of the TCA will operate, including its impact on licence conditions and “replacement” vessels. The UK will discuss such matters with the EU ahead of introduction.

As part of continued dialogue with the authorities in Normandy and La Manche, Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq, Policy & Resources Committee lead for external relations, attended the annual political summit meeting with the President of the regional council of Normandy, Hervé Morin, and the President of the departmental council of La Manche, Jean Morin, on 24 September, hosted by the Government of Jersey, to update them on the current interim arrangements and the approach to future licensing policy.

Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq, Policy & Resources Committee lead for external relations said:

“The Bailiwick’s fisheries relationship with the EU and France changed as a result of the TCA negotiations which reached a very fast pace during December 2020.  It is no surprise that it is taking a significant amount of time to implement the new agreement fully. The TCA has given the Bailiwick new powers and control over our territorial waters that could not be exercised in the same way when the UK was a member of the EU.  The way that we approached the TCA negotiations, and the way that we intend to work under the agreement, is to recognise that each step taken to exercise this control could impact the balance of the economy in the region, for the fishermen in the Bailiwick and for those in Normandy, La Manche and Brittany. We value our good relationships with our regional partners and I hope that the roadmap which we are announcing today provides certainty about how our fisheries relationship with France will operate in the future.”

Deputy Neil Inder, President of the Committee for Economic Development added:

“It is important that we maintain a stable and predictable economic relationship for the fishing industry in and around the Bailiwick. While some technical discussions are still ongoing between the UK and the EU, the Committee was keen to implement licensing as soon as possible.  The roadmap should provide certainty for all parties involved. We will soon confirm which vessels qualify for a licence, and we will then issue those licences by 1 December. The licences will take effect on 1 February 2022, at which point the existing interim fisheries regime will expire. We are doing this at a pace that is right for the Bailiwick, and we look forward to progressing other work with our neighbours as soon as possible, not least resuming access for direct landings by Bailiwick fishermen at the port of Diélette.”

The Government of Jersey has informed the EU which French vessels it will soon be issuing with fishing licences, and given 30 days’ notice of the ending of current transitional arrangements.

An interim arrangement was introduced at the start of 2021, after the UK’s exit from the EU, allowing French boats holding a previous Granville Bay permit to continue operating in Jersey waters. This was to allow time for the new Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA) system to be set up.

The TCA requires evidence of fishing activity over a track record period to be demonstrated in order for access to be granted.

Following the receipt of data and additional evidence in recent weeks, the Government of Jersey has confirmed it will issue 64 full licences and 31 temporary licences, on top of the 47 vessels already licensed earlier this year.

Applicant vessels therefore now fall into one of three categories:

• Vessels that have provided the necessary evidence under the terms of the TCA. These 64 vessels with receive a licence in addition to the 47 existing licence holders
• Vessels which need to provide some additional evidence before they can be licensed. These 31 vessels will receive a temporary licence, which will give them until the end of January 2022 to provide the extra information
• Vessels that do not meet the criteria, and have either not fished in Jersey waters during the relevant period or have not been able to evidence their activity. These 75 vessels are being given 30 days’ notice of the end of the transitional arrangements after which time they will no longer be able to access Jersey waters.

While all unlicensed boats must stop fishing in Jersey waters in 30 days’ time, Jersey authorities will still accept and consider further data and evidence as and when it is submitted.

The licence conditions specifically regarding ‘days at sea’ and ‘gear used’ will remain suspended to allow for further discussion between Jersey, the UK, the EU and France on the interpretation of ‘extent and nature’.

The Environment Minister, Deputy John Young, said: “We are pleased that, following our requests, more data was recently supplied. This means we’re now in a position to prepare to issue these additional permits for qualifying boats, along with the provisional permissions for the vessels on the brink of providing the required evidence.

“By issuing these licences in the days ahead, we are ensuring the fishing effort in our waters is similar to pre-Brexit – those boats with an economic dependance on Jersey waters, who’ve fished here regularly before and have demonstrated it, will receive licences. We’ve been flexible in the kinds of positional evidence we’ve accepted, using VMS information, commercially available Automatic Identification System data, logbooks, chart plotters and other written information.

“The issue of ‘replacement vessels’ is still to be resolved, and we’re aware they are important to the industry as boats are commissioned and decommissioned regularly. There are a small number of these applicant vessels which require further consideration, and they will be allowed to continue operating in our waters for now while we continue discussions about how ‘replacement vessels’ should be managed.”

The licensed boats will be published on the UK Single Issuing Authority website.

The External Relations Minister, Senator Ian Gorst, said: “Jersey has maintained a pragmatic, reasonable and evidence-based approach throughout, extending the transitional period on a number of occasions until now, despite not being required by the TCA to do so.

“We’re now in a position to ensure those boats which have fished these waters are able to continue doing so, and therefore it is time, next month, for our transitional arrangements to come to a close.

“We thank the UK, EU and authorities in France for their efforts to provide us with the additional data, and I’m keen to pay tribute to the tireless work of our officers to pursue the information, collate it and analyse it. We will continue to have an open door to further data and evidence of fishing activity, including for vessels which have already been considered, and look forward to working collaboratively to resolve the remaining complex issues.”

Ministers from the Channel Islands are tomorrow [Friday 24 September] joining French politicians in an annual summit that explores opportunities to work closely together.

The annual political summit with the region of Normandy and the department of La Manche is being held in Jersey this year.

The annual summit has been held since 2015, when a co-operation agreement was signed between Jersey, Guernsey, La Manche, and the region of Lower Normandy (which is now unified with Upper Normandy). Alderney and Sark join the meeting as associate members of the agreement.

As part of the co-operation agreement, representatives from each jurisdiction meet each year to explore how they can work collaboratively.

The summit will focus on three main issues which affect all parties: the consequences of climate change, Covid-19; Brexit and its potential impact, including fishing.

The following representatives will be attending:

• Jersey will be represented by the Chief Minister, Senator John Le Fondré, and Minister for External Relations, Senator Ian Gorst
• Guernsey will be represented by their Minister for External Affairs, Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq
• Alderney will be represented by Deputy-President Graham McKinley
• Sark will be represented by Conseiller John Guille
• Normandy will be represented by President Hervé Morin
• La Manche will be represented by President Jean Morin
• The Préfecture of La Manche will be represented by the Préfet of La Manche, Gérard Gavory.

The Minister for External Relations, Senator Ian Gorst, said: “The Normandy Summit provides us with a much-valued opportunity to meet with our closest neighbours from Nomandy and La Manche.

“We will discuss a range of topics including the impact of Covid-19 and how Britain’s departure from the EU will continue to affect sectors such as fishing. This year we will also discuss how climate change could affect the region.

“Our dialogue has always been in the spirit of mutual co-operation; it is important for us to build on our relationship and to continue our commitment to work together.”

The Chief Minister, Senator John Le Fondré, said: “France and Jersey have been through unprecedented times over the past couple of years. Over the past few years the importance of these meetings has become evident as we all face common challenges. I am looking forward to our annual summit, which will give us all a chance to share our experience, strength and vision for the future.”

Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq, Guernsey’s Minister for External Affairs, said: “This is the first of our annual summits since the UK-EU Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA) came into effect on 31 December last year. While that is the formal agreement between the UK and the EU, our place in it was negotiated with a view to ensure we maintained our good neighbour relationships with France, particularly Normandy and La Manche.

“The summit also provides an opportunity to continue to learn about our approaches to the Covid-19 pandemic. We look forward to seeing the volume of travel and trade start to grow between the islands and France. The Bailiwick of Guernsey greatly values the continuing engagement and close working with our nearest French neighbours and regional partners across a range of topics.”

The next summit will be held in Normandy in 2022.

Guernsey and Jersey have attended a virtual annual political summit with the departmental council of Ille-et-Vilaine to review ways in which the three jurisdictions have been working together, under a cooperation agreement that was signed in 2017 and renewed in 2020 for a further three years.

Jersey has enjoyed sixteen years of joint working with one of its closest neighbours, Ille et Vilaine. Guernsey officially joined the partnership in 2017. The cooperation agreement facilitates joint working in a number of areas, including education and youth mobility, culture and arts, as well as transport, and trade.  It also enables discussions to take place on strategic issues such as the impact on the Channel Islands and the port of St Malo of the UK’s departure from the EU.  In addition to the topics covered by the cooperation agreement, the Prefecture of Brittany attended the annual summit as an observer.

At the virtual summit, the departmental council of Ille et Vilaine was represented by its President, Jean Luc Chenut; Jersey was represented by the Chief Minister, Senator John Le Fondré and Minister for External Relations, Senator Ian Gorst; and Guernsey was represented by Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq, member of the Policy and Resources Committee with responsibility for external relations. The Prefecture of Brittany was represented by the Préfet of Brittany, Emmanuel Berthier.

The discussions covered the health crisis and the management of each territory; developments in the cooperation which have resulted in several progress in the field of sport and international solidarity; and the recent consequences of Brexit for partners.

Each partner expressed the wish for an improvement in the health situation in order to continue these fruitful exchanges through a future physical meeting.

Annual Normandy to take place today.

Ministers from Guernsey and Jersey are today attending the annual political summit with the region of Normandy and the department of La Manche. Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, attendees will not meet in person, but will hold the summit via videoconferencing.

The annual summit has been held since 2015, when a cooperation agreement was signed between Jersey, Guernsey, La Manche, and the region of Lower Normandy (which is now unified with Upper Normandy). Alderney and Sark join the meeting as associate members of the agreement.

As part of the cooperation agreement, representatives from each jurisdiction meet each year to explore how they can work together.

The summit will focus on three main issues which affect all parties: the impact of COVID-19, Brexit and its potential impact, and fishing.

 The following representatives will be attending:

• Jersey will be represented by Chief Minister, Senator John Le Fondré, and Minister for External Relations, Senator Ian Gorst
• Guernsey will be represented by Member of the Policy and Resources Committee with responsibility for external relations, Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq
• Alderney will be represented by Vice-President James Dent
• Sark will be represented by Chief Secretary Zannette Bougourd
• Normandy will be represented by President Hervé Morin and Vice-President Anne-Marie Cousin
• La Manche will be represented by President Marc Lefévre and Vice-President of the departmental council, Jean Morin
• The Préfecture of La Manche will be represented by the Préfet of La Manche, Gérard Gavory

Minister for External Relations in Jersey, Senator Ian Gorst said: “The Normandy Summit provides a welcome opportunity for us strengthen the long-standing relationship with our nearest neighbours.

“This is particularly important, given the international scope of the challenges we face. Britain’s departure from the EU, and the outbreak of COVID-19 have had – and will continue to have – effects across borders and communities. Meanwhile, ongoing discussions about fisheries require ongoing cooperation and negotiation.

“I look forward to having productive discussions with our colleagues from Normandy and La Manche, and ensuring that we can continue to work together for our mutual benefit.”

Chief Minister of Jersey, Senator John Le Fondré said: “Given the unprecedented times in which we find ourselves, it is even more important than usual that we continue to build on and strengthen the ties we enjoy with our neighbours in the Normandy region. Today’s virtual summit represents an important part of this work and I’m grateful to our regional friends for a productive discussion.”

Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq, Member of the Policy and Resources Committee in Guernsey with responsibility for external relations, said: “I am pleased to be attending the annual summit of the governments of the Bailiwick of Guernsey and Jersey and the authorities of Normandy and La Manche, which provides the opportunity to continue engagement with our closest neighbours and regional partners.

Guernsey’s relationship with Normandy and France will continue to be important for islanders in the months and years to come, particularly as we move towards the end of the transition period and the implementation of a new relationship between the UK and the EU, and continue to deal with the impact of COVID-19. Our work continues to strengthen this regional relationship for our mutual benefit and where our interests are aligned.”

The next summit will be held in Jersey in 2021.

Crédit photo D. Daguier

Since the start of the health crisis, Jersey and Guernsey have had separate approaches to the reopening of borders. The two Governments have established strict test and isolation policy rules to protect their islands from COVID 19, while restarting the resumption of economic activity.

Before considering a stay in the islands, it is advisable to consult the measures that can change daily depending on the territory from which you come, as follows:

For Jersey: https://www.gov.je/Health/Coronavirus/Travel/Pages/index.aspx

For boaters, please also refer to the notices issued by the Harbour Master’s Office: https://www.ports.je/jerseyharbours/regulationguidance/noticemariners/

For Guernsey: https://covid19.gov.gg/guidance/travel

For boaters, please also refer to the notices issued by the Harbour Master’s Office:

http://www.harbors.gg/Guernsey-Navigation-Warnings-Notices

The islands will be really happy to welcome you and make you discover their beauties when the sanitary situation and the return of  more regular maritime connections allow it.

The dates of Olivier Meriel’s exhibition, l’île dans les Isles, which was exhibited in Guernsey in 2018, Jersey in 2019, and Caen in 2020 have been extended. Initially scheduled in Caen from 14 February to 30 April, the public was unable to view the Channel Islands photo exhibit due to lockdown. This is why the Musée de Normandie has decided to extend the exhibition when the museum reopens, from 2 June to 23 August 23. A decision hailed by Anglo-Norman cousins.

More information here

The Governments of Guernsey and Jersey have renewed their partnership agreement with the departmental council of Ille et Vilaine for another three years.

 Representatives from both Islands were due to attend the annual summit between Guernsey, Jersey, and Ille et Vilaine in St Malo today where the agreement would have been signed, but due to COVID-19-related travel restrictions, the parties agreed to go ahead with the signing by videoconference.  The agreement has been signed, enabling cooperation between the three jurisdictions to continue for a further three years.  A formal meeting of representatives has been rescheduled for spring 2021.

 Jersey has enjoyed fifteen years of joint working with one of its closest neighbours, Ille et Vilaine. Guernsey officially joined the partnership in 2017. The cooperation agreement facilitates joint working in a number of areas, including education and youth, culture and arts, as well as transport, and trade.  It also enables discussions to take place on strategic issues such as the impact on the Channel Islands and the port of St Malo of the UK’s departure from the EU.  In 2019, the Prefecture of Brittany attended the annual summit as an observer to provide updates on subjects within its mandate such as emergency planning and customs and immigration matters.

 At the virtual signing ceremony, the departmental council of Ille et Vilaine was represented by its President, Jean Luc Chenut; Jersey was represented by the Chief Minister, Senator John Le Fondré and Minister for External Relations, Senator Ian Gorst; and Guernsey was represented by Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq, member of the Policy and Resources Committee with responsibility for external relations.

Due to the latest recommendations from the French Government limiting the risk of Coronavirus (Covid-19) contamination, the BIAN office is currently closed until further notice. However, we are both teleworking and therefore we can be reached by telephone (landline), or by email or videoconference.

Thank you for your understanding.

Jersey will once again be represented at a major agricultural show in Paris this week.

The Economic Development Minister, Senator Lyndon Farnham, will lead a delegation to the Salon International de l’Agriculture (SIA) on Sunday, 24 February. The agricultural show is one of the biggest French agriculture events of the year and will provide an opportunity to showcase Jersey’s local produce, to promote the island as a tourist destination, and to strengthen links between Jersey and France.

This will be the seventh year that Jersey has exhibited at the show, which attracts more than 600,000 visitors annually.

Senator Farnham said: “The SIA is one of the world’s largest and most important agricultural shows. This popular and high-profile event provides us with an excellent opportunity to show off what Jersey has to offer, as well as allowing us to foster relationships with our closest neighbours.”

The department of La Manche will again host Jersey on their stand at the event, giving the island a platform to promote local produce and to showcase Jersey as a holiday destination. Visitors to the Jersey area of the Normandy stand will be able to see different varieties of daffodils grown in Jersey, and will sample a taste of Genuine Jersey products – including black butter, cider, salted caramel, pork pies, and new locally-produced Biltong. The stand will also offer festival-goers the chance to win a trip to the island.

La Manche has welcomed Jersey to share their stand since 2014, and Senator Farnham will meet President of La Manche, Marc Lefèvre, to renew this partnership during his trip.

Senator Farnham added: “This is a significant yearly opportunity for us to promote Jersey’s products, particularly Jersey Lobster, Jersey Oyster, Jersey Royals and Jersey Dairy: four of our most important agricultural exports. The event is also the perfect opportunity for us to endorse the island as a holiday destination, and for us to build links with a number of influential decision makers in France.

“It’s fantastic to have this annual chance to demonstrate our close links with Normandy, and I am delighted to be able to renew this partnership for three more years.”

Guernsey and Jersey have attended the annual political summit with the region of Normandy and the department of La Manche to re-sign a cooperation agreement that promotes greater partnership working between the four jurisdictions.

A cooperation agreement was first signed between Jersey, Guernsey La Manche and the region of Lower Normandy in January 2015, and this was renewed in September 2016 following the unification of the regions of Upper and Lower Normandy. Alderney and Sark are associate members of the agreement. As part of the cooperation the six jurisdictions have met annually to explore opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation. This year, the department of La Manche hosted the summit in Cherbourg.

Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq, member of the Policy & Resources Committee with responsibility for External Relations, Senator Ian Gorst, Minister for External Relations in Jersey, Hervé Morin, President of the Region of Normandy and Marc Lefèvre, President of the Conseil Départemental of La Manche, jointly chaired the summit where various subjects were discussed. These included Brexit and its implications for the Channel Islands, including fishing and contingency planning for a no-deal exit. Areas of regional cooperation were also discussed, such as educational links; cultural initiatives; and economic opportunities. James Dent, Chairman of the Policy & Finance Committee and Vice-President of the States of Alderney, also attended the meeting.

Member of the Policy & Resources Committee with responsibility for External Relations Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq said:

“It was a pleasure for me to attend the annual summit of the governments of the Bailiwick of Guernsey and Jersey and the authorities of Normandy and La Manche and renew the cooperation agreement for the next three years at this time of significant for us all.

As we work towards the UK’s withdrawal from the EU we are seeking stability and to minimise disruption caused by the UK exit.  This includes seeking agreement to manage how fisheries matters will be affected. It is our desire to be able to settle these issues directly to protect our interests, ensure we conserve our marine environment and balance our interests in cross border trade.

I look forward to continuing these discussions as we look to strengthen our relationship with Normandy and France, for our mutual benefit and where our interests are aligned.”

Senator Ian Gorst, Minister for External Relations in Jersey, said:

“This Summit with the leaders of Normandy and La Manche gave us the opportunity to strengthen the long-standing relationship Jersey has with our nearest neighbours.  We reviewed progress our cooperation over higher education, student exchanges, culture, environment – including marine renewable energy, tourism and other areas of our economies.

“The renewal of the cooperation agreement further emphasises the Channel Islands’ and Normandy’s commitment to working closely and productively together. The political leaders all affirmed that such co-operation is particularly important at the time of the UK’s exit from the EU. I agreed with my Norman colleagues that the cooperation between Jersey and France under the Bay of Granville Agreement was an example of mutual benefits that can derive from working together. We agreed to continue discussions about this.

I welcome the Normandy regional authority’s commitment to smooth market access for Jersey fishermen, and am happy to say we have agreed to support a project which will facilitate landings in Granville.”

On 4^th August, a delegation from Jersey and Guernsey travelled to Granville to witness the largest display of Piper L4 and Cubs aircrafts in Europe since the Second World War. This event took place to commemorate the 75^th anniversary of the Liberation of Europe, with Granville and Jullouville being liberated on 31^st July 1944.

The delegation comprising Guernsey’s President of Policy & Resources, Gavin St Pier, Jersey’s Assistant Chief Minister, Connétable Christopher Taylor, and Deputy of St Martin Steve Luce, attended a gathering with the President of La Manche, Marc Lefèvre, the Mayor of Jullouville, Alain Brière, and the President of Piper Operation Cobra, Philippe Renaudet. This was followed by an air display and exhibition of around 350 vehicles at Jullouville beach.

Granville and Jullouville were selected as locations for this event as the former was home to the main headquarters of the French Forces and the latter was where General Dwight D. Eisenhower (who launched the D-Day operations in June 1944) based his Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) in the Castle De La Mare. There, Eisenhower oversaw as many as 30,000 soldiers involved in the Battle of Normandy and the Battle of France and the airbase was dedicated to the Pipers L4-H.

The delegation was honoured to have taken part in the commemorations remembering the sacrifice of all who fought in the Second World War and those who contributed to the Liberation of Europe in 1944.

The 9^th – 15^th July saw Jersey and Guernsey celebrate all things French as Le French Festival took place in the islands. Following on from the highly successful first edition which was held in Jersey in 2017, Guernsey also enjoyed participating in the events for the first time this year.

In Jersey, events included a fantastic performance from Breton juggling duo Les Invendus, an international symposium on Wace, a Norman 12^th century poet born in Jersey, and a traditional Norman market amongst many other festivities.

Guernsey events included an array of creative workshops and exhibitions, and there was a strong focus on French artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s time in the island with the exhibition of a Renoir original painting, followed by a Renoir art walk.

Both islands hosted around 600 sailors competing the 35^th edition of the Tour des Ports de la Manche, the regatta bringing a colourful display of flags and bunting to the harbours. Thanks to a longstanding relationship with Rennes Opera, Jersey and Guernsey were also lucky enough to broadcast a performance of Wagner’s opera, ‘The Flying Dutchman’, which was initially shown in 22 locations throughout Brittany on 13^th June as part of the “Opera on Screens” initiative.

Le French Festival 2019 was a great success and demonstrates the links between the islands and the French culture as a whole.  Thanks to the organising committee and all partners, and “rendez vous” for the next edition in 2021!

On 5^th July 2019, two teachers from the Guernsey Grammar School Sixth Form Centre attended the open day at the University of Caen, following the agreement which was signed by Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq in March supporting the admission of Guernsey students to the Norman university to embark on their higher education.

Newly appointed Head of Careers, Miss Charlee Hales, and coordinator of the school’s annual trip to Caen, Mr Guilhem Chene, attended a meeting with representatives of the university’s language department to catch up on the various training offers to students to improve their level of French, and to implement plans to attract Channel Islands’ students to study in Caen. They also attended a forum which introduced them to the additional services that UniCaen has to offer.

Overall, the day was very positive, and it is hoped that more Guernsey students will take steps to study in Normandy in the years to come.

On 6^th June 2019, many official and non-official events took place throughout Normandy to mark the 75^th anniversary of the D-Day landings. A delegation from Jersey and Guernsey travelled to Normandy to take part in this day of remembrance.

The delegation comprised of Jersey and Guernsey’s Chief Ministers, respectively Senator John Le Fondré and Deputy Gavin St Pier, as well as Ministers for External Relations, Senator Ian Gorst, and Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq, alongside the Bailiff of Guernsey, Sir Richard Collas.

In the morning, the delegation attended the British Ecumenical Ceremony at Bayeux Cathedral in the presence of the French Prime Minister, Edouard Philippe, PM Theresa May, and His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. A group of D-Day veterans from the Royal British Legion were also present at this ceremony. The attendees then moved to the British Military Ceremony to pay homage to those who fell 75 years ago.

Later in the day, the Channel Islands delegation attended the International Ceremony at Juno Beach in Courseulles-sur-Mer. This was the first time that a ceremony of this kind had been held in the Canadian sector. It took place in the presence of Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, and Edouard Philippe.

The Channel Islands delegation were honoured to have taken part in these major commemorations of events that happened very close to the Islands shores. The day offered a chance to reflect on the horrors of 6^th June 1944 and to be thankful for those who sacrificed their lives for the liberty of others.

The 4^th and 5^th June 2019 saw the second annual Normandy World Peace Forum held at the Abbaye Aux Dames in Caen, which was attended by Guernsey’s Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq and Vice President of the States of Alderney, James Dent. This was the third event of this kind at which the Channel Islands were represented as they also attended the preparatory event in 2017.

This year, the forum was on the theme of ‘peacemakers’ and included various conferences and thematic debates on this subject, with a strong emphasis on youth, as well as hosting a Village for Peace. The Channel Island representatives attended debates on combatting the silent weapon of communication technology, and about how the EU could create peace in other continents.

Several recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize gave talks at the forum, including Mohammed El-Baradei (2005 winner), Denis Mulwege (2018 winner), and Jody Williams (1997 winner). The event is particularly symbolic as it was held during the two days before the 75^th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy.

The islands are extremely supportive of this initiative and look forward to future events.

On 16^th May 2019 Jersey hosted the third annual political summit with the Government of Guernsey and the departmental council of Ille et Vilaine, to discuss progress on areas of joint working that form part of the cooperation agreement signed by the three jurisdictions in 2017. A Brexit update was also provided to our French counterparts.

The departmental council of Ille et Vilaine was represented at the summit by its President, Jean Luc Chenut. Jersey was represented by the Minister for External Relations Senator Ian Gorst and Guernsey was represented by Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq, member of the Policy & Resources Committee with responsibility for external relations.

For the first time, the Préfète of Brittany Michèle Kirry, also attended as an observer and covered items under her remit (emergency planning as well as customs and immigration) on behalf of the French State.

The meeting was also an opportunity to provide an update on Brexit to our French visitors.

The content of discussions proved to be extremely valuable and the event was considered as one of the best one, with a great number of achievements. Next summit will be held in Ille et Vilaine in 2020.

Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq has signed an agreement to support the admission of Guernsey students wishing to undertake further education at the University of Caen in Normandy. The agreement aims to facilitate the integration of Guernsey students in the University and to support students wishing to pursue studies abroad.

Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq, member of the Policy & Resources Committee with responsibility for External Relations, signed the agreement on behalf of the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture.  The agreement was also signed by Mr Pierre Denise, President of the University of Caen Normandie, Ms. Virginie Catherine, Director of the Regional Centre for University and School Projects, and Mr Jean-Marc Julienne, President of the Joint Association of Normandy and La Manche.

This agreement outlines a number of ways in which support will be provided to Guernsey students who wish to pursue further studies at the University of Caen in order to develop their language skills and benefit from a wide range of courses at a European university. This includes support that will be provided for students undertaking foundation language courses as well as those pursuing Bachelor’s courses.

Improving educational links between the Channel Islands and France also forms a key part of the cooperation agreement that was originally signed between Guernsey, Jersey, the region of Normandy and the department of La Manche in 2015.

Jersey is once again represented at a major agricultural show in Paris (23 Feb- 3 March).

The Economic Development Minister, Senator Lyndon Farnham, led a delegation to the Salon International de l’Agriculture (SIA) on Sunday, 24 February. The agricultural show is one of the biggest French agriculture events of the year and provides an opportunity to showcase Jersey’s local produce, to promote the island as a tourist destination, and to strengthen links between Jersey and France.

This is the seventh year that Jersey has exhibited at the show, which attracts more than 600,000 visitors annually.

The department of La Manche is again hosting Jersey on their stand at the event, giving the island a platform to promote local produce and to showcase Jersey as a holiday destination. Visitors to the Jersey area of the Normandy stand are able to see different varieties of daffodils grown in Jersey, and will sample a taste of Genuine Jersey products – including black butter, cider, salted caramel, pork pies, and new locally-produced Biltong. The stand also offers festival-goers the chance to win a trip to the island.

La Manche has welcomed Jersey to share their stand since 2014, and Senator Farnham met President of La Manche, Marc Lefèvre, to renew this partnership for another three year.

Senator Farnham added: “This is a significant yearly opportunity for us to promote Jersey’s products, particularly Jersey Lobster, Jersey Oyster, Jersey Royals and Jersey Dairy: four of our most important agricultural exports. It’s fantastic to have this annual chance to demonstrate our close links with Normandy, and I am delighted to be able to renew this partnership for three more years.”