Brussels, 12/02/2014 (Agence Europe) - Outermost Regions (OR) such as the Azores (Portugal), la Réunion (France) or the Canaries (Spain) should not simply benefit from cohesion policy funds as part of solidarity but should also benefit from aid through all other EU policies. In this connection, the members of the Parliamentary committee adopted the own initiative draft report by Younous Omarjee (GUE, France) on Tuesday 11 February, by 31 votes in favour and 2 against. Synergies could be developed through the Horizon 2020, Life + and Erasmus programmes, as well as in the Trans-European transport, energy and telecommunications networks, maritime and agricultural policies and a number of other areas. The rapporteur will be working out policy by policy, through a number of possibilities combining different European funds and programmes to boost the potential of the OR and ensure their sustainable development. This will involve putting an end to their isolation and helping them overcome structural handicaps by incorporating them better into European strategies. It will also involve taking advantage of their extensive European reach in many different parts of the world. Union trade, external and development policies can no longer consider these regions as lacking in the importance to the Union, explained MEP Younous Omarjee. He also said that the EU should not be satisfied with simply defending the interests of the OR but also had to proactively promote these regions. (MD/trans.fl)