Regional policy & outermost regions

The European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Johannes Hahn, will attend the 18^th Conference of Presidents of the EU's Outermost Regions, hosted by Carlos Cesar, President of the Regional Government of Azores, and current chair of the group of eight outermost regions (Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Réunion, Martinique, the overseas Collectivity of St Martin, the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands). The governments of Spain, Portugal and France will be represented at the conference, as well as the Cyprus Presidency of the EU. Mayotte, which will gain outermost region status in 2014 and the Prime Minister of Cape Verde will also participate.. 

Commissioner Hahn will embark on a 3-day tour of the islands of the Azores (starting in Sao Miguel and continuing to Faial, Pico, Flores and Corvo), visiting projects co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), such as:

The Escola de Formação Turística e Hoteleira on Sao Miguel - School of Tourism and Hospitality Training (EFTH), Pico Vermelho Geothermal Plant (Sao Miguel Island, Ribeira Grande) and Corvo island's Air Traffic Control Tower.

More info

The study is aimed at deepening the understanding, the knowledge and the projections of the demographic and migratory trends in the Outermost Regions. The report describes the major short and medium-term impacts of the demographic and migratory trends as well as their probable impact on the economic and social cohesion. Using the result of the analysis, the experts outline the main risks and the opportunities associated with these phenomena.

More Information

Identifier: FP7-ENV-2013-two-stage
Publication Date: 10 July 2012
Budget: € 248 000 000
Deadline:  16 October 2012 at 17:00:00 (Brussels local time)

28 February 2013 at 17:00:00 (Brussels local time) - 2nd deadline (for 2-stage procedure)

OJ Reference: OJ C202 of 10 July 2012
Specific Programme(s): COOPERATION
Theme(s): Environment (including Climate Change)

See item "g" under the topic ENV.2013.6.5-2 Mobilising environmental knowledge for policy and society

                g) Research partnerships to sustainably manage the biodiversity in EU Outermost Regions (OR) and Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT) 

Conditions, application form and more information

The EU has eight regions that are geographically very distant from the European continent but that still form an integral part of the EU member countries they belong to.

The eight outermost regions are:

• 4 French overseas departments– Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana and Réunion *
• 1 French overseas communities– Saint-Martin
• 2 Portuguese autonomous regions – Madeira and the Azores
• 1 Spanish autonomous community – the Canary Islands

* Mayotte, former OCT, from March 2011 officially the 5th Overseas French department and 101st French departement, expressed the wish supported by the French authorities to access the status of the OR in 2014.

These “outermost regions”, are covered by EU law along with the other rights and duties associated with EU membership – in contrast to overseas territories, which have a different legal status.*

* The overseas countries and territories (OCT) are the 21 countries and territories listed in Annex II to the Treaty. As they do not belong to the Union, EU law does not apply to them, with the exception of the association regime based on Part IV of the Treaty.

Source: 2006

Handicaps...

The regions face several obstacles to full development – remoteness, insularity, terrain, climate, economic dependence and the narrow range of goods they produce.

And assets...

However, they also have a valuable contribution to make:

• diversification – the outermost regions give the EU wider territorial waters than it would otherwise have and a diverse economy, providing rum, sugar cane, bananas and other tropical fruit and vegetables for European consumers
• strategic importance –: the regions offer the EU tremendous opportunities for developing relations with neighbouring countries in Macaronesia, the Caribbean and the south-west Indian Ocean
• research and hi-tech industries, e.g.:
  • IAC, the Canary Islands' Astrophysics Institute
  • the European Space Agency's centre in French Guiana
  • University of the Azores' oceanography and fisheries department
  • CRVOI, the centre for research on emerging diseases, in Réunion
  • Guadeloupe's under-water broadband cables
  • agri-environmental research cluster on Martinique
  • Madeira's multi-purpose power station

In the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, the outermost regions are covered in Article 349, which requires that EU policies must be adjusted to their special circumstances.

EU strategy for the OR

In the past, specific support programmes have been developed for these regions: POSEIDOM for the French overseas departments (1989), POSEICAN for the Canary Islands (1991) and POSEIMA for the Azores and Madeira (1991) – Their aims were to improve infrastructure, promote job-creating industries and develop human resources.

In 2006 the support system was reformed, and replaced by POSEI programmes, with funding allocated to each of the three EU countries to which the regions belong.

Since 2004, the EU has had an integrated strategy, based on active partnership between EU institutions, national governments and the outermost regions. The three priorities are to make the regions more accessible, more competitive and more integrated with the countries around them. These priorities – and other measures – are explained in the Strategy for the outermost regions .

Current EU strategy for the OR

In 2004, the EU set out a comprehensive strategy for the OR based on active partnership between the European institutions, Member States and the OR, centred around hree  areas: reducing their accessibility deficit, making them more competitive and improving regional integration. Additional measures were proposed in the Communication entitled ‘Strategy for the outermost regions: achievements and future prospects’.

In October 2008, a new Commission policy paper, "The outermost regions – an asset for Europe" set two objectives:

• address new difficulties facing the outermost regions – globalisation, climate change, demographic trends, migratory flows, sustainable management of natural resources, including marine resources and agricultural products.
• exploit the regions' assets to boost economic development, with particular focus on sectors with high added-value, such as the agri-food industry, biodiversity, renewable energy, astrophysics, aerospace, oceanography, vulcanology, seismology, and to promote the regions' role as outposts of the EU in the world.

In May 2010, the European Commission organised the First Forum for Outermost Europe at the initiative of DG REGIO. This broad, high-level event provided an opportunity to apply the proactive partnership between the European Commission, the OR, Member States and the European Parliament to set up a forum to exchange  views on matters of interest regarding future challenges of the OR.

The EU will invest over EUR 11 billion in OR between 2007 and 2013 (funded by: ERDF, ESF, EAFRD, EFF, POSEI). These funds are included in several programmes:

- ERDF: EUR 4.5 billion (European Regional Development Fund)
OR also benefit from ERDF envelopes earmarked for technical cooperation under 4 programmes set up by geographical area. See programmes and projects for more information.
- ESF (European Social Fund): EUR 1.3 billion
- EAFRD (European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development): EUR 1.2 billion
- EFF (European Fisheries Fund): EUR 101.4 million
- POSEI (Programme of Options Specifically Relating to Remoteness and Insularity): EUR 4.16 billion

*=financial year **= future financial years

In addition to Structural Fund programmes, numerous other European initiatives take account of the specificities of these regions, especially in terms of competition, agriculture, research and trade.
For example:
- DG Environment programmes, such as:

• Natura 2000
• BEST (Voluntary scheme for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in Territories of the EU Outermost Regions and Overseas Countries and Territories): an envelope of EUR 2 million has been earmarked for financing preparations for implementation of the BEST programme for OCT and OR in order to protect and promote their biodiversity.
• Life+

- DG Research programmes:

• FPRTD (Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development)
• CIP (Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme)

DG REGIO:

Unit B.2. Coordination of Outermost Regions
European Commission
DG Regional Policy
B-1049 Brussels
Tel: +32 2 296 06 34
Fax: +32 2 296 23 05
e-mail: regio-B2-RUP@ec.europa.eu

Representation of the Member States in Brussels:
- Permanent Representation of Spain
- Permanent Representation of France
- Permanent Representation of Portugal