Raad, Commissie en parlementsvoorzitters bevestigen toewijding aan buitenste regio's binnen toekomstig Europees financieel stelsel (en)

Câmara do Lobos, Madeira (Portugal). EFE

The representatives of the Spanish Presidency of the EU, the Commission and the European Parliament taking part in the opening session of the first high-level Forum for Outermost Europe restated their commitment to the interests and needs of these distant geographical regions that form an integral part of the EU and are treated differently because of their specific characteristics.

Representatives of the governments of France and Portugal and local authorities from the outermost regions are also taking part in the forum, being held on Thursday and Friday in Brussels.

Spain's Secretary of State for the EU, Diego López Garrido, confirmed that the Spanish Presidency will continue to work to guarantee the interests of these regions within the new EU financial perspectives that will be in force from 2013, as well as to implement the new economic growth strategy for the coming decade, known as Europe 2020, in order to ensure that these regions “continue to have a unique, central and strategic position" in EU policies.

López Garrido referred to the memorandum on the new European strategy for the outermost regions, which was adopted by Spain, France and Portugal at the beginning of May during a ministerial meeting held in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, which the Spanish Presidency will present to EU Heads of State and Government during the European Council meeting in June.

The European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Johannes Hahn, said the Commission will ensure that the outermost regions are able to benefit from the 2020 Strategy just like any other region of the EU, adding that he would be an "active advocate" for their interests during discussions on the future financial framework of the EU.

Hahn underscored the important role that these regions must play in putting the new EU economic strategy into action.

“Implementation of Europe 2020 requires specifically tailored solutions, and these will only come about with the know-how that the European regions have to offer”, he said as he opened the event.

The President of the European Commission, José Manuel Durao Barroso, speaking via video conference, referred to the innovation potential of the outermost regions to help bring about "intelligent, sustainable and socially inclusive" growth in Europe, while the Vice President of the European Parliament, Miguel Ángel Martínez, stressed in his speech that “nobody should benefit as much from regional cohesion as the outermost regions”, in other words from the EU's structural and social funds for the most disadvantaged regions.