Vice-President of the Government advocates investment in port modernisation in Outermost Regions - Communication

Vice-Presidência do Governo Regional

The Vice-President of the Regional Government, Artur Lima, defended the strategic importance of investing in port infrastructures in the Outermost Regions during the Political Bureau of the Commission of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR).

"The ports of the Outermost Regions play a key role in all their economic activity, whether through cargo transport or passenger mobility," pointed out Artur Lima.

Considering the strategic importance of these infrastructures for the economies of coastal regions, and especially islands, "it is essential to ensure the operational safety of ports, promote their resilience to climate change, and maintain capacity levels in line with current and future requirements," stressed the Vice-President.

For Artur Lima, "investing in the Outermost Regions is about safeguarding the social and economic cohesion of the European Union."

In this regard, port modernisation "is essential to ensure competitiveness and territorial cohesion, reducing the geographical isolation of these regions," he continued.

On that occasion, the Vice-President reiterated the need to establish a POSEI Transport programme: "This is a priority for the Government of the Azores. POSEI Transport is a tool that allows us to respond to the real challenges of the Outermost Regions in this sector."

In his speech, Artur Lima talked about the potential of regional and small ports to "play an important role in implementing the EU port strategy, helping to relieve pressure on central ports and improve the resilience of logistics chains."

Mentioning the example of the Azores, the Vice-President pointed out the importance of infrastructures such as submarine cables, adding that regional ports "can host maritime surveillance and operational coordination centres, contributing to the security of trade routes, and the supply of critical products and technologies."

During the debate, the leadership of the Azores was widely recognised in view of the recent creation of the largest marine protected area in the North Atlantic and the position of the Azores as Europe's Atlantic frontier.

Aligned with what Artur Lima mentioned, and after congratulating the Region for its work, French MEP Christophe Clergeau emphasised that the proper preservation and protection of the sea is a matter of sovereignty.

The Political Bureau of the Commission of Peripheral Maritime Regions met between July 3 and 5 in The Hague, Netherlands. 

The CPMR comprises more than 150 regions from 24 countries, representing over 200 million people. It serves as a forum for discussion, promotion and advocacy for more cohesive and balanced territorial development, not only across Europe but also in neighbouring and partner regions.