Islands Commission of the Conference of Peripheral and Maritime Regions approves declaration urging greater inclusion

Presidência do Governo Regional

The Islands Commission of the Conference of Peripheral and Maritime Regions (CPMR), meeting in Ponta Delgada, approved today the final declaration of its work. The document was presented by the President of the Regional Government of the Azores, José Manuel Bolieiro, who recalled the "geostrategic importance" of these territories, urging inclusion to European institutions.

At a session held at the Teatro Micaelense, which included CPMR President Loïg Chesnais-Girard, José Manuel Bolieiro recalled that the islands should be regarded as "laboratories of the future with the capacity to innovate," based on cohesion policies and the "relevant importance of the sea."

"There has to be a recognition not only of the constraints associated with remoteness that remain but also of the opportunities that the islands offer to the world and European politics," the President of the Government added, speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the session.

"Because there is still much to be done and because I am determined, as President of the Government of the Azores, to contribute to the success of this work with dedication, today I want to convey my willingness to provide greater impetus for the affirmation of the Islands Commission with the institutions that we identify as essential for the just accomplishment of our common cause," the President had said earlier, addressing the delegations present.

The 43rd General Assembly of the Islands Commission of the Conference of Peripheral and Maritime Regions (CPMR) runs until Wednesday.

The closing session will be chaired by the Vice-President of the Regional Government of the Azores, Artur Lima.

The programme includes several sessions dedicated to maritime affairs, energy, transport, the environment and climate, and a session on the future of the European Union's islands after the next European elections.

About fifty members from eleven island regions from countries such as Portugal (Azores and Madeira), Spain (Canary Islands and Balearic Islands), France (Brittany, Corsica, Guadeloupe and Réunion), Malta (Gozo), Estonia (Saarema) and Sweden (Gotland) are taking part in this meeting.

The event is also being attended by representatives of the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Committee of the Regions and the Council of the European Union, namely those representing its Belgian presidency, and representatives of associations linked to the different realities of the islands.

The Islands Commission is one of the six geographical commissions of the CPMR, encompassing 19 European island regional authorities located in the Mediterranean, the Baltic Sea and the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.

This body seeks to encourage European institutions and member states to pay special attention to islands, recognise the permanent disadvantages and vulnerabilities arising from their remoteness and implement the policies best suited to their specific characteristics.