SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Nov. 8 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The presidents of the nine Outermost Regions (ORP) of the European Union, meeting at their XXVIII annual Conference in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, have adopted a Final Declaration in which, in relation to the negotiation process of the Fit for 55 legislative package, they demand an evaluation of the global impact on the application of this package and an analysis of the cumulative and combined effects of the different measures in the ORs.
The negotiation process of the Fit for 55 legislative package is practically completed and the ORs, even having obtained exceptions and derogations that they consider “clearly insufficient” and mostly “transitory”, continue to be “extremely concerned” about the effects that the application will have on their economies, the mobility of their citizens, supplies at reasonable prices and their convergence with the EU.
In the same way that the cost of implementing these objectives for the European automobile industry is beginning to be taken into account, they understand that the difficulties of implementing these objectives in the outermost regions must be considered.
They also demand that the delegated acts of the Commission in application of the Package and the successive reports in the review of the application of each of its measures specifically assess the situation of the outermost periphery in a specific section.
COHESION POLICY.
Regarding the future of cohesion policy, the ORs urge the new institutions to defend cohesion policy as a fundamental pillar of the European integration process, guaranteeing its initial identity and objectives and its current multi-level governance approach.
Likewise, they hope that the principle of ‘not damaging cohesion’ is projected in all European policies, avoiding initiatives that could have a negative impact on territorial cohesion and even leave some regions behind, a concern that, according to the ORs, should be clearly shared by its States (France, Spain and Portugal).
For the outermost regions, the territories trapped in the ‘development trap’, described in the 8th Cohesion Report, are the granary of anti-European sentiments that demand concrete and immediate responses. For this reason, they consider the effort to adapt European policies and their accompanying measures to be essential to improve the attractiveness of these regions while guaranteeing the principle of social justice.
In budgetary matters, the review of the Multiannual Financial Framework, in the opinion of the presidents of the ORs, offers a unique opportunity to provide the Union with the necessary resources to meet current and future challenges based on a solidarity approach that takes into account The principle of geographical reality takes into account. And they add that any new instrument must guarantee, therefore, the inclusion of the outermost regions in accordance with article 349 of the TFEU, preventing them from benefiting only the most developed ones. On the other hand, they urge the European institutions to expedite the processing of legislative proposals that allow the delay of the closing of the 2014-2020 programming.
ENERGY AND EUROPEAN TERRITORIAL COOPERATION.
In energy matters, the presidents of the ORs understand that the outermost regions must receive greater support for the valorization of all their natural resources, including biomass and hydrogen, both in production and storage
The Final Declaration of the XXVIII Annual Conference of the ORs also refers to European territorial cooperation. Thus, these regions believe that their geographical position is a strength for all of Europe; For this reason, they ask the European institutions to deepen their reflection on the regional insertion of the ORs.
At the same time, they urge the adoption of a true Great Neighborhood policy, with ad hoc instruments and own resources. In this context, they urge the European Commission to specify in the next financial framework the coordination of funds for the implementation of projects in the ORs through a specific budgetary allocation of foreign policy funds, with the European territorial cooperation programs of the ORs. RUP.
TAXATION AND CUSTOMS.
In turn, they request the protection of their specific tax regimes, including the Madeira Free Trade Zone, within the framework of recent international agreements that seek to homogenize direct taxation, a reality that, according to the OR, must also be taken into account in the framework of the future customs reform for which they request that prior specific impact studies be carried out.
In transport, they demand the creation of a specific financial operational program for transport and connectivity in the ORs (POSEI transport), outside of the structural funds, which can alleviate the difficulties derived from remoteness and increased prices, to guarantee the connectivity of these regions at the internal, national and European level.
AGRICULTURE AND FISHING.
And in terms of agriculture, they request that inter-institutional collaboration be encouraged to strengthen the POSEI budget with the aim of improving the agricultural, agro-industrial and agri-food autonomy of the ORs, and they trust that the ongoing POSEI evaluation confirms this need expressed since years ago.
Likewise, in the framework of the review of the Regulation on the protection of animals during transport and related operations, they reiterate the need to take into account the specific characteristics of the ORs, especially with regard to the maritime transport of live animals. .
On the other hand, they maintain that the common fisheries policy and maritime policy must be modified to allow the development of the fishing sectors and the sustainable blue economy in the ORs, European enclaves in their respective basins. Looking ahead to the next programming period, they also reiterate their request that the possibility of aid for fleet renewal in the ORs be included in the EMFA.
