During a visit to French Guyana, the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, highlighted the economic, social and strategic importance of the nine outermost regions to the European Union.
Mr Juncker stated, “Thanks to the outermost regions, the sun never sets on the European Union… you have gifted Europe with your maritime facades and you provide us with a global dimension… You account for 80% of European biodiversity”. Mr Junker was speaking on Friday 27 October in Cayenne during a Conference of Presidents from the nine regions, which was also attended by the Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Crețu and the President of France, Emmanuel Macron.
He also promised to launch a “contest” to decide on the right name for this category of territory, which are obviously very remote from the European continent but which, according to the Commission President, “are at the heart of Europe”.
Drawing on the new European strategy the Commission unveiled two days earlier (see EUROPE 11890), Mr Juncker promised to do everything to maintain an ambitious cohesion policy after 2020. He asserted that, “No attacks should be launched against cohesion policies, I would never accept that”.
The President of the Commission is aware of the fears expressed by the outermost regions regarding free trade negotiations between the Union and third countries and provided assurances that the Commission would sacrifice, “Neither the values, standards, or principles of the European Union nor the interests of our countries and regions”. He emphasised, “We will not sacrifice them on the altar of free trade”, adding, “We will always remain attentive to the defence of your interests, particularly with regard to banana, sugar and wine production”.
France recently ratcheted up its defence of its agricultural interests as part of the trade negotiations with Mercosur (see EUROPE 11883).
Mr Juncker also promised to facilitate the outermost regions’ access to the European investment plan and the €250 million envelope included in this plan for these regions. On Friday in Cayenne, the first project in Guyana supported by the “Juncker” plan was signed. This aims to build a complex consisting of a residential home for senior citizens and a hotel in the Macouria locality.
The President of the Commission also wanted aid to be adapted to regenerating small fishing fleets, including the state aid system for the fishing sector. He also appealed for the POSEI programmes for agriculture to be continued and not to be reduced, in addition to a review of European co-financing to the ports and airports of the regions affected in this regard.
Addressing the young people of the outermost regions, Mr Juncker argued that they should be able to benefit from more pronounced support through the Erasmus + programme and the European Solidarity Corps, by taking responsibility for a greater share of transport costs.
This greater attention paid to the EU’s outermost region should, nonetheless, according to Mr Juncker, be accompanied by greater participation of their respective populations in European political life. In this regard, he argued, “I know that there are many who are part of the European undertaking as a whole but to do not feel very European. The proof of this can be seen in the fact that participation in the European elections is barely 10%. This needs to change”. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)