"21 June 1973 my wife and I participated in the founding of CPMR as representatives for Region Nordjylland. For many years we followed the annual conferences with great interest. Especially I remember 1998 when CPMR celebrated its 25th anniversary. It was an outstanding event where the conference sailed along the coast of Bretagne in one of the big channel ferries. With great respect, I also remember the many results of the work of the conference. Especially the realisation of my proposal for support of the maritime peripheral regions in their work for building an alternative business to compensate the falling economy in fishing industries. My good friend Secretary General Georges Pierret brought, together with Chairman Senator Georges Lombard, the proposal to EEC in Brussels. It became after a couple of years the fund for our regions for building alternative business possibilities. In my local region, we had a great benefit from this fund for many years. We would hereby send our best congratulations for your 50-year anniversary to the conference and all our friends."