SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 19th April. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Government of the Canary Islands, represented by Celia Alberto, the Director of European Affairs, has actively participated in the second plenary session of the European Committee of the Regions held in Brussels. The government introduced two amendments, with the support of the Popular Group, to the urgent resolution focused on a renewed post-2027 cohesion policy that aims to ensure no one is left behind, emphasising the significance of the outermost regions (ORs).
Through this resolution, the European Committee of the Regions has provided its initial response to the report from the High-Level Group on the future of cohesion policy and the ninth Cohesion Report, which were both recently published.
These amendments highlight the unique circumstances of the outermost regions, as outlined in Article 349 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. They have been introduced within the ongoing discussion on future cohesion policy, underlining the crucial role of this policy in the economic and social progress of these regions.
The plenary session also featured three significant political debates, as highlighted by the government in a statement. These debates focused on the 2023 enlargement package (Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia), the upcoming European Parliament elections, and the strengthening of European child guarantee and child protection systems at the local and regional levels.
During one of these debates, the Director General of European Affairs addressed the issue of high child poverty rates in the Canary Islands. The government of the Canary Islands aims to combat this by implementing enhanced policies that support education, training, and employment.
In her address, Celia Alberto underscored the challenging situation faced by over 5,500 unaccompanied migrant minors who have arrived on the islands, in addition to those already under the care of the Canary Islands authorities.
She also highlighted the strain on the social services of the Canary Islands government and stressed the urgent need for increased cooperation and shared responsibility between the European Union and its Member States to tackle “the most significant migratory challenge” in the history of the archipelago.
The upcoming plenary session of the Committee of Regions is scheduled for 19th and 20th June.
