Brittany Region Delegation meets with EARLALL and the Basque Country representatives in Brussels
01/07/2025
On June 30th, 2025, EARLALL had the pleasure of hosting a high-level delegation from the Brittany Region at the Basque Country Delegation in Brussels. The visit, welcomed by Marta Marín, Delegate of the Basque Country to the EU, provided a valuable opportunity to exchange on regional strategies for skills, lifelong learning, and the power of territorial cooperation.
The delegation was led by Forough Dadkhah, Vice-President of the Brittany Regional Council in charge of employment, training, and guidance, and included several regional councillors and senior representatives from the Brittany administration and the Brittany Europe Permanent Delegation. The visit exemplified Brittany’s commitment to fostering cooperation with other regions and engaging in European-level dialogue on skills and education.
Together with Noelia Cantero, Director of EARLALL, and Marta Marín, the group explored the common challenges and innovative responses regions are deploying to build resilient and inclusive skills systems. Two compelling examples stood out during the discussions: the experience of Tknika in the Basque Country, a centre of innovation in vocational education and training (VET), and the network of “Third Places” such as La Canopée in Brittany, which blend training, innovation, and community engagement in a decentralised and flexible format.
These concrete initiatives demonstrate how regions are not just policy implementers, but key innovators in the field of lifelong learning. They are uniquely positioned to design and deliver training pathways that are tailored to local realities while contributing to broader European goals such as the green and digital transitions.
The visit also sparked reflection on how regional cooperation can be further strengthened, and how EARLALL—as a network of like-minded regional authorities—can drive policy influence and shape European initiatives to better support territorial needs. The shared understanding was clear:
“There can be no Union of Skills without the regions.“
We thank our colleagues from Brittany for this enriching visit and Marta Marín for her warm welcome and for sharing valuable examples from the Basque Country too. We look forward to continued collaboration in advancing regional cooperation and empowering citizens through education across Europe.
Delegation from the Brittany Region:
- Forough Dadkhah, Vice-President for Employment, Training, and Guidance
- Elisabeth Jouneaux-Pédrono, Regional Councillor for Health and Social Training
- Olivier Le Bras, Regional Councillor
- Gaël Le Meur, Regional Councillor for Maritime Sectors and Training
- Anne Patault, Regional Councillor for Equality
- Régine Roué, Regional Councillor
- Arnaud Toudic, Regional Councillor for Associative Life
- Eric Le Bour, Cabinet of the President
- Olivier Gaudin, Deputy Director General, Head of Transitions and Foresight, Education-Training-Economy Division
- Tangi de Rochefort, Project Manager for Partnership Dynamics
- Aude Körfer, Head of Brittany Europe Permanent Delegation
- Rozenn Maréchal, Policy Officer for Social Affairs, Transport, Research & Innovation
Hosts:
- Marta Marín, Delegate of the Basque Country to the EU
- Noelia Cantero, Director of EARLALL
