DG REGIO has just published an independent study on people’s access to a selection of basic needs - housing, drinking water and sanitation, electricity, cooling and heating and internet and telephone connectivity - in the outermost regions.
- 29 February 2024
The study analyses access to the selected basic needs, the infrastructure in place to enable access to such needs, identifies trends, develops a set of indicators, and puts forward recommendations (horizontal and per region).
The analysis contained in this study is in line with the 2022 Communication ‘Putting people first, securing sustainable and inclusive growth, unlocking the potential of the EU’s outermost regions’ and its focus on the need to bridge the gap in living conditions between these regions and continental Europe. This study builds on relevant studies and data by the European Commission, national and regional authorities, and information gathered during interviews and technical meetings.
The study highlights the remaining needs as well as progress made over the last years and highlights EU support in particular through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).