As part of the annual Commission meeting for Sustainable Territorial Development of the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM), ECR Members Cllr Dee Sharpe (East Riding of Yorkshire Council) and Cllr David Simmonds (London Borough of Hillingdon) met their southern Mediterranean counterparts to look for common solutions to challenges ranging from entrepreneurship to good governance and transparency.

ECR Members were exchanging ideas on how to involve local governments in helping young entrepreneurs start their business on the southern shores of the Mediterranean, so they can start their business without having to leave their place of origin. Councillor Simmonds advocated "learning from the existing experiences across the EU of the credit unions as they will represent a big factor in supporting finance for young entrepreneurs in southern Mediterranean partner countries".

Also on that day the ARLEM Bureau meeting took place. It was officially announced that Seville in Spain would host the next annual ARLEM meeting, celebrating its tenth anniversary. Councillor Simmonds stressed that UK ARLEM members should be invited to attend all future ARLEM meetings after the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the EU, to share their experience of local and regional governance with neighbouring countries.