For more than thirty years, the Atlantic Arc has been used as a concept to defend the stance of the regions and cities in South Western Europe. Several factors, from geographical features to cooperation agreements have had a strong influence in the evolution of the notion and its uses. Nowadays, with a new EU programming period on its way and transnational initiatives like the Atlantic Strategy being discussed, the time has come to clarify the meaning, the incidence and the implication of the Atlantic Arc as a brand and as a common identity, part of the European citizenship broader concept.

For more than thirty years, the Atlantic Arc has been used as a concept to defend the stance of the regions and cities in South Western Europe. Several factors, from geographical features to cooperation agreements have had a strong influence in the evolution of the notion and its uses. Nowadays, with a new EU programming period on its way and transnational initiatives like the Atlantic Strategy being discussed, the time has come to clarify the meaning, the incidence and the implication of the Atlantic Arc as a brand and as a common identity, part of the European citizenship broader concept.