02 June 2011
A States delegation led by Chief Minister, Senator Terry Le Sueur, visited the French Parliament in Paris yesterday (1 June) to address members of its 2 houses, the Assemblée Nationale and the Sénat.
This privileged opportunity to address both houses came as part of a 2 day programme of engagement with senior French politicians. Accompanying the Chief Minister as part of the delegation were Director General of the Jersey Financial Services Commission, John Harris, and President of the Assemblée Parlementaire de la Francophonie, Connétable Ken Vibert.
Mr Harris delivered 2 separate presentations on behalf of the delegation to members of the Assemblée Nationale and the Sénat, outlining the Island’s achievements in financial regulation. The delegation also met with some of France’s most influential politicians, including the President of the Assemblée Nationale’s Foreign Affairs Commission, Axel Poniatowski, the President of the Sénat’s Finance Commission, Philippe Marini, and the Rapporteur Général of the Sénat’s Finance Commission, Jean Arthuis.
The delegation also met with the Secretary for the Study Group on the Channel Islands, Alain Cousin, and the Counsellor for Global and EU Issues at the British Embassy, Hugo Shorter. They also attended a dinner meeting on 31 May with key members of the Assemblée Nationale’s Finance Commission, including Commission President Jérôme Cahuzac, Gilles Carrez, Daniel Garrigue and Yves Censi.
Senator Le Sueur said “We are indebted to Messieurs Marini and Arthuis for providing us with the opportunity to address the Sénat, and to the members of the Study Group on the Channel Islands, particularly Monsieur Cousin, for organising our visit to the Assemblée Nationale. We are pleased to have been able to address such influential audiences and to have clearly delivered the message that Jersey is a well-regulated and internationally respected centre for offshore finance, committed to transparency and cooperation with our EU counterparts.”
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