The Atlantic Area covers a surface of 856 420 km2 and has a population of 76.1 million. This geographical area, which is on the periphery in comparison to the geographical and economic centres of Europe, is characterized by certain heterogeneity in geographical and economic terms . Similarly it presents a level of development and economic integration weak in comparison to the "centre" of Europe. However the existence of common cultural and historical elements, connected inter alia with the proximity of the Atlantic Ocean, creates a unity amongst the area , which makes co-operation an essential factor.

The Atlantic trans-national area consists of territory relating to five European Member States. T he geographical area includes the following regions :

• Spain : Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, Navarra, País Vasco, La Rioja, Castilla y Léon, Andalucia (Huelva, Cadiz and Seville) Canarias
• France : Aquitaine, Poitou-Charentes, Pays de la Loire, Brittany, Basse-Normandie, Haute Normandie, Limousin, Centre, Midi-Pyrénées.
• Ireland : The entire territory.
• Portugal : The entire territory .
• United Kingdom : Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Merseyside, Worcestershire and Warwickshire, Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, Dorset and Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, Staffordshire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, West Midlands, all 22 Unitary Authorities in Wales, Northern Ireland, Highlands and Islands, South Western Scotland.

The main objectives of the “Atlantic Area “ programme are to encourage the coherence and cohesion of the Area and to improve its economic competitiveness and its efficiency, in order to overcome the handicaps of a peripheral location compared to the more central regions of the Union. In addition it s eeks to promote sustainable development projects through integrated strategies and territorial development that harmonise social, economic and environmental objectives, by respecting conservation issues and the cultural, historical and environmental assets of the Area.