Island territories suffer from a range of competitive handicaps, which strongly affect their competitiveness. A high-level political debate with representatives of EU institutions and bodies and CSOs aims to address the challenges facing islands and urge the EU institutions to take islands into account throughout the EU policy-making process. With the participation of the Governor of Crete and CoR members from the Regions of Gotland (Filip Reinhag) and Åland.
- Maritime (oceans, coasts, islands) | Local and regional | EU/ European | Cohesion
- Code: 09PW24833
- Jacques Delors building, JDE 52
Moderator
Practical information
- When
-
Wed 09/10/2024, 09:30 - 11:00 CET
- Where
- Jacques Delors building, JDE 52
- Type of partnership
- Regional partnership
- Format
- CoR Political WorkShop
- Theme
-
Competitiveness and convergence: two sides of the same coin
- Languages
- English, Italian, French
- Websites
-
https://www.regione.sardegna.it/
https://sardegnaeuropa.regione.sardegna.it/
https://www.caib.es/webgoib/es/
https://www.europa.corsica/
https://gozo.gov.mt/
https://www.crete.gov.gr/
Partners
Document
provisional-agenda-high-level-political-conference-on-eu-islands-(en_0
Reporting
Session summary
Due to their condition of territorial discontinuity and peripheral position from the mainland, island regions suffer from a wide range of structural and permanent disadvantages that deeply affect their development, representing a competitive disadvantage.
In this respect, EU policies are a key development factor for island territories. Although regulatory provisions concerning island status are laid down in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, there are no dedicated EU policy measures to address the distinctive challenges of these territories, neither at the legislative level nor at the political level - through a specific strategy - as underlined by the European Parliament in two different resolutions, adopted in 2016 and 2022.
In this context - on the occasion of the twenty-second edition of the EURegionsWeek - the political leaders of Sardinia, the Balearic Islands, Corsica, Gozo, Crete, Gotland and Åland gathered together to address the issues of island regions in a dialogue with the European institutions to urge them to take insular dimension into account all along the EU policy-design process.
The representatives of the EU peripheral islands called upon the European Union and the Member States to tackle the challenges and the legislative bottlenecks of islands. They remarked the recognition of the specificities of islands regions and the need for tailor-made EU policies for these territories to mitigate the additional costs resulting from island status, with the aim to move towards an effective territorial cohesion.
Several high-ranking representatives of the EU institutions and bodies contributed to the debate expressing their satisfaction with the initiatives carried out by the island partnership, including the Vice President of the European Parliament, Mr Younous Omarjee, the President of the ECO section of the European Economic and Social Committee, Mr Ioannis Vardakastanis, the Deputy Director-General of the DG REGIO of European Commission, Mr Nicola De Michelis and the Secretary General of the Greek Ministry of Maritime Affairs & Insular Policy, Mr Manolis Koutoulakis.
The political conference was characterised by high attendance with more than 200 participants, including members of the European Parliament, members of the Committee of the Regions and the European Economic and Social Committee, high-level representatives of the European Commission, political and technical representatives of island local, regional and national authorities, civil society representatives and business community.
Quotes
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There is a need for greater territorialisation of EU policies, through dedicated legislative provisions for islands, overcoming the current paradigm where EU legislation and policies are applied without distinction in deeply different territorial contexts
We must move towards a specific regime for the islands of the European Union with an effective implementation of article 174 of the TFEU, as well as de minimis regulation allowing exemptions and the raising of the ceiling to compensate our insularity
Ce nouveau mandat institutionnel doit reconnaître l’importance et la singularité des territoires insulaires afin d’accompagner au mieux leurs projets de transition écologique et économique pour un avenir plus durable, plus prospère et plus solidaire
The EU has to ensure that policies and legislation are ‘island-proofed’, meaning that the particularities of islands are considered throughout the whole EU policy-making process. This will ensure that our islands are equipped to deal with new challenges
Islands serve as living labs for innovative ideas and sharing knowledge. Fostering the creation of efficient, inclusive and interconnected regional innovation ecosystems in all areas can contribute to innovation development, leading to a robust cohesion
By enhancing the business ecosystem, fostering tailored innovation, and providing diverse training options, the EU can help islands like Gotland overcome challenges and thrive within the European Union
Islands need to be able to compete on equal terms. For that to happen, we need rules that are tailored for the specific challenges we face. EU policies with an island-perspective will help islands prosper and contribute to an even stronger Union!
Additional links
https://www.gov.mt/en/Government/DOI/Press%20Releases/Pages/2024/10/09/PR241622.aspx
https://www.crete.gov.gr/stis-protovoylies-ton-eyropaikon-nision-symmetechei-i-perifereia-kritis/
https://www.agenzianova.com/news/sardegna-todde-a-bruxelles-superare-gli-svantaggi-dellinsularita/
https://www.italpress.com/todde-territorializzazione-politiche-ue-e-approccio-specifico-per-isole/
https://alandsradio.ax/nyheter/uppmaning-eu-ta-oars-utmaning-pa-allvar
