From 16 to 19 April, the Guernsey and Jersey marinas attended the Saint Malo Boat Show for the second year in a row. This annual event is organised by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) of Ille-et-Vilaine and the maritime sector of the Corsair City. The show has become an unmissable event in the leisure industry bringing together 160 exhibitors, 200 boats. This year’s edition saw over 26,000 visitors, an increase of 30% compared to 2025! The Channel teams reassured visitors about the regulations in the Channel Islands. Both marinas discussed with Bretagne Plaisance (the Brittany Region) and the Ports de la Manche (the Normandy Region) on the introduction of ETA (=Electronic Travel Autorisation) from 23 April in the Channel Islands, visas and the future changes for the yachting sector.  This visit has strengthened the links between the Channel Islands and the Normandy and Brittany regions and will open more opportunities for future collaboration. The St Malo boat show will return for a third edition in 2027. More information on the Saint Malo boat show here.

On 3-6 April, ‘The Big Eat Guernsey’ food festival welcomed the first Breton market to Guernsey! ‘The Big Eat Guernsey’ invites visitors to discover the local specialties of the Bailiwick of Guernsey with a spotlight on the gastronomic links with France. The program includes foraging and dining experiences, bike tours and safaris around the vegetable stalls, farm-to-table dinners and exclusive meetings with local chefs. For this first edition of the Breton market Islanders had the chance to try authentic Breton products: honey, galettes, Breton shortbread, all accompanied by a contagious good mood! The Breton merchants met with the President of the Committee for Economic Development, Kazantseva-Miller and the Vice-President of the Brittany region in charge of the sea and the coast, Daniel Cueff. ‘The Big Eat Guernsey’ showcases  Guernsey’s rich culinary landscape, the island  is already home to five restaurants  that appear in the 2025 Michelin Guide,  and is world famous for the quality of its dairy and sea food. . The next edition  of The Big Eat food festival will take place in October. Prepare your programme now on ‘The Big Eat Guernsey’.

On 26 March, the Channel Islands, alongside representatives from the region of Normandy, officially launched their participation in the ‘Millenium – 2027 European year of the Normans’ event, hosting a reception at the British Embassy in Paris.The year-long event will celebrate 1000 years since the birth of William the Conqueror, as well as a shared history and identity. An innovative European cooperation project, it will bring together people from all backgrounds, be they British, Irish, Italian, Danish, Norwegian, French or, of course, from the Channel Islands. With over 40 projects planned across the Channel Islands, including community events, brand new-exhibitions, conferences and ground-breaking research projects, representatives from both Jersey and Guernsey were excited to launch their participation in Paris.

Jersey’s Deputy Elaine Millar, Minister for Treasury and Resources and Assistant Minister for External Relations, was joined by Guernsey’s Deputy Steve Falla, member of the Policy and Resources Committee with responsibility for External Relations, and Deputy Paul Montague, President of the Committee for Education, Sports and Culture. They were pleased to be met by the Senator and President of the Culture, Tourism, Heritage Commission at the Region of Normandy, Mrs Catherine Morin-Desailly. The launch event on Thursday was just the start of a year of cross-border cultural collaboration, celebrating our shared history and engaging in cultural exchanges. The coming year will further cement our historical ties and create legacies for future cooperation and European partnerships. The full programme of events will be launched by the Region of Normandy on 2-3 July, so keep your eyes peeled for millennium events coming to an island near you!

NB: The French spelling of the word ‘millenium’ is used to refer to the official title of the event as used by the Region of Normandy in ‘Millenium – 2027, European Year of the Normans’.

Take a look at the Channel Islands’ projects for the Millenium on: Millenium – 2027 European Year of the Normans

From 23 to 25 September, representatives from ArtHouse Jersey and Guernsey Arts travelled to Normandy on a technical visit to gain a better understanding of the region’s cultural fabric. Following a rich itinerary between Caen and Rouen, the delegation visited numerous artistic and cultural institutions, including the Regional Contemporary Art Fund (FRAC Normandie) RN13 BIS, the Usine Utopik, the Centre for Contemporary Creation, ESAM Caen-Cherbourg, Artothèque, Le Radar and Le Point du Jour. As part of the Normandy project ‘Millennium: 2027 European Year of the Normans’, the islands are engaging in artistic and cultural collaborations with the Normandy Region, and these meetings aim to create new contacts to imagine new cooperative projects.

Jersey’s architectural heritage was celebrated during the 41st European Heritage Days organised by the French Ministry for Culture from 19 to 21 September. For this special event, four sites agreed to open their doors to visitors free of charge or with promotional offers: Jersey Museum et Victorian House, Georgian House at 16 New Street, Royal Court, States Chamber, and Jersey War Tunnels. This event was an opportunity for visitors and residents alike to discover or rediscover the unique stories behind each building. This promotion was made possible thanks to discussions with the DRAC (Regional Directorate for Cultural Affairs) of Normandy, which included the opening of the Jersey sites in the Normandy regional programme.

For more information on the European Heritage Days:

• European Heritage Days
• European Heritage Days | OpenAgenda

See you next year!

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The French Festival was back in Jersey from 10 to 14 July for one of its most dazzling editions yet! Visitors were treated to a programme combining French culture and the local population: wine and cheese tasting, a Normandy market, a screening of the Rennes opera, films and music. The high point of the festival was the conference entitled ‘The Franco-British relationship, spearheading European security’, organised in collaboration with Normandy for Peace, which provided an opportunity to discuss the future of Franco-British relations. Thanks to Sylvie Barnamm, former French Ambassador to the UK, and Dr Becky Alexis-Martin, specialist in nuclear disarmament, the conference was punctuated by a lively debate. If you could not attend the conference, you can watch a replay here. The French Festival once again lived up to its promise, underlining the close links between France and the Channel Islands! The next edition will take place in 2027 and will focus on the Millennium of William the Conqueror in Normandy. We can’t wait!

On 12 June, a delegation from the Jersey and Guernsey customs and immigration departments visited the St Malo sub-prefecture to meet their counterparts from Brittany and Normandy. The visit gave the various partners an opportunity to discuss forthcoming changes to British and European procedures and the potential impact on the flow of travellers arriving in and departing from our respective territories. These annual meetings are extremely beneficial, enabling the teams to get to know each other better and work together more effectively.

From 28 to 29 April, the technical teams in charge of the Jersey and Guernsey wind farm projects travelled to Calvados for meetings with Normandy professionals. Under the aegis of the regional prefecture, this was an opportunity to meet with the Réseau de Transport d’électricité (RTE), the Normandy region and EDF Renewables, to understand the electrical connection of the Courseulles-sur-mer wind farm on land. During these two intense days, the teams from the Channel Islands were able to explore avenues for collaboration and learn from each other’s experiences.

Le membre du comité Policy & Resources chargé des Affaires étrangères de Guernesey a signé un accord soutenant l’admission d’étudiants de Guernesey souhaitant poursuivre leurs études supérieures à l’Université de Caen en Normandie. L’accord a pour objectif de faciliter l’intégration des étudiants de Guernesey au sein de l’université et de soutenir les étudiants souhaitant poursuivre des études à l’étranger.

Le membre du comité Policy & Resources chargé des Affaires étrangères de Guernesey, a signé l’accord au nom du Ministère de l’éducation, du sport et de la culture. L’accord a également été signé par M. Pierre Denise, président de l’Université de Caen Normandie, Mme Virginie Catherine, directrice du CROUS, et par M. Jean-Marc Julienne, président de la Maison de la Normandie et de La Manche.

Cet accord précise les moyens permettant de favoriser un soutien aux étudiants de Guernesey qui souhaitent poursuivre leurs études à l’université de Caen afin de développer leurs compétences linguistiques et de bénéficier d’un large éventail de cours dans une université européenne. Cela comprend le soutien qui sera fourni aux étudiants qui suivent des cours de mise à niveau de Français ainsi qu’à ceux qui suivent des cours de licence.

L’amélioration des liens éducatifs entre les îles Anglo-Normandes et la France fait également partie intégrante de l’accord de coopération initialement signé entre Guernesey, Jersey, la région Normandie et le département de la Manche en 2015.

Representatives from Guernsey and Jersey made an official visit to Paris this week for a series of political meetings with key ministries of the French national government, as well as members of the French National Assembly and the Senate. The Channel Islands delegation was led by the Minister for External Relations (Government of Jersey), Senator Ian Gorst and the Member of the Policy & Resources Committee (States of Guernsey) with responsibility for External Relations. The delegation held productive meetings at the Ministry for Economy and Finance, and at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, including with Minister for European Affairs, Nathalie Loiseau. They were welcomed to Paris by Philippe Gosselin, President of the French National Assembly’s Study Group on the Channel Islands, and other members of the parliamentary group from across the Assembly. Meetings also took place with French Senators, including the Chair of the European Affairs Commission, Jean Bizet, former Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, Stéphane Travert, and Chair of the Law Commission and former President of the departmental council of La Manche, Philippe Bas. The meetings provided an opportunity to increase awareness amongst key stakeholders in Paris of the Channel Islands’ position and priorities in relation to the UK’s upcoming departure from the European Union. Discussions covered topics including maritime matters and territorial seas, the important regional links that exist with Normandy and Brittany, and efforts to enhance relations with the central administration in Paris. Ministers highlighted the Channel Islands’ desire to maintain positive relationships with France and its other European partners, and to continue our close co-operation in a wide range of areas. Guernsey and Jersey have cooperation agreements in place with Normandy-La Manche and the department of Ille et Vilaine in Brittany to promote greater partnership working between the jurisdictions. These regional agreements support the development of relations with the national administration in Paris, and are important in demonstrating the strength of the Channel Islands’ close historic ties with France.