The European Commission announced on Thursday a new strategy for the nine outermost regions of the EU, which include the Azores and Madeira, covering a total population of five million people. The new regulatory package includes adapted legislation in areas such as agriculture, forestry, fisheries, migration and taxation, with emphasis on the blue economy, renewable energy, research and space. The covered territory extends from the Mediterranean and Atlantic to the Caribbean, Indian Ocean and South America.
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, considered it necessary to take greater account of local realities and the specific constraints of these regions. The Commission advocates strengthening disaster response, energy autonomy, protection of critical infrastructure such as ports and submarine cables, food security, poverty reduction, better access to education and affordable housing, promotion of employment, social inclusion and access to health and drinking water.
The nine outermost regions belong to Portugal (Azores and Madeira), Spain (Canary Islands) and France (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, Réunion and Saint Martin). The package will be presented to the Council for agreement by the Member States following consultation with the European Parliament.
The peripheral regions are one of the discussion points in the negotiations for the new multiannual financial framework, in which no specific allocation for these regions is foreseen. The Minister of Economy and Territorial Cohesion, Manuel Castro Almeida, expressed Portugal's dissatisfaction with the Commission's proposal, considering that it lacks "amendments" as it is not "absolutely fair to Portugal," with the "biggest problem" being the absence of a specific allocation for the autonomous regions of Madeira and the Azores.
