Welcome to the European Information Network in the South East

These pages provide details of information providers based in the South East who can answer all types of enquiries that you might have about the European Union, plus local European events, news and links to further information sources.

The South East is a success story, with a strong and growing economy. The Regional Economic Strategy estimates that economic growth will be an annual average of 2.99% Gross Value Added. An estimated 800,000 new jobs are expected to be created over the next twenty years to support this level of growth. Dover, Southampton and Portsmouth, as well as the Channel Tunnel, make the South East the natural access point to continental Europe.

There are 20 Higher Education Institutes and other Universities with a campus in the region together with 71 Further Education Colleges. The UK Socrates-Erasmus Council is based in Canterbury, Kent. Erasmus ("European Community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students") is the European Union educational programme for Higher Education students, teachers and institutions. It was introduced in 1987 with the aim of increasing student mobility within the European Community, subsequently the European Economic Area countries, and now also the Candidate Countries of Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey.

The region has a strong cultural heritage. Long established and internationally famous events such as the Glyndebourne Festival Opera and the Chichester Theatre Festival stand alongside the largest number of specially designated museum collections of any region.

The South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) is the Government-funded agency responsible for the sustainable economic development and regeneration of the South East of England and plays a significant part in determining how the South East can get the most out of UK membership of the European Union. (http://www.seeda.co.uk/)

The South East is considered to be a relatively prosperous part of Europe. Nevertheless, the diversity of the region leads to disparities and there are areas of severe deprivation. European funding is targeted at these deprived areas to ensure that opportunities are available to all. Only three of the four funding programmes* are covered in the South East and these are: Objectives 2 and 3 and Community Initiatives. The Government Office for the South East is responsible for the management, development and day-to-day administration of the EU funding ( http://www.go-se.gov.uk/ ).