Brussels, 02/07/2012 (Agence Europe) - According to the president of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, the Outermost Regions (OR) are expected to play a role in the European Union strategy for growth and employment. Barroso attended a second forum on the OR, which took place on 2 July and was organised on the initiative of Johannes Hahn, the commissioner responsible for regional policy.
5 pillars for modernising economies. According to Barroso, these regions are an integral part of the European Union and contribute to its dynamism and influence. He explained that the partnership that now links up these regions should subsequently be based around five different pillars. The five pillars are contained within the Commission communication presented on 20 June last (see EUROPE 10638). They focus on the ORs' access to the single market, their competitiveness, regional integration, training and employment as well as their adaptation to climate change. In order to attain these objectives, the OR must “modernise and diversify” their economy through investment in “research and innovation” but also through implementation of measures promoting job creation and access to training. Hahn said that he believed that innovation was not just about technology but also extended to other areas such as tourism, in which the OR had untapped potential, even more so given that these regions have their own specificities. This is why Hahn appealed for “à la Carte” solutions, as well as smart specialisations depending on each region's own advantages. He added that this diversification should be used to increase the “autonomy” of these regions.
Budget 2014-2020. The key instrument in the strategy for growth and employment is none other than the future multiannual financial framework covering the 2014-2020 period. This budget needs to be both “reasonable” and ambitious, explained Barroso. Hahn acknowledged that the envelope available for the OR was a little less than that for the current framework but he did add that he was confident about the result of the current ongoing negotiations.
The president of the Commission said that the budget should also take into account current difficulties facing ministers responsible for finance by using innovative financial means, such as project bonds, and measures for optimising structural funds.
Barroso congratulated the European Council for adopting the growth pact and said that they needed to assert their credibility in order to restore confidence, which required linking growth and budgetary efforts together.
Hahn pointed out that everyone could and should contribute to the EUROPE 2020 strategy objectives, without which “we will not be competitive”. (EL/transl.fl)