The European Commission announced a series of initiatives to help the outermost regions (ORs) on Friday 23 November at the annual OR conference in the Canary Islands.
As a reminder, these initiatives follow the new strategy for the outermost regions launched last year in French Guiana (see EUROPE 11890).
Thus, the Commission has amended the guidelines for State aid in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors so that new vessels can be bought by SMEs, “which links State aid to respect for the sustainability of fish stocks”.
In addition, the institution is launching the FORWARD project, with 4.3 million euros from the Horizon 2020 framework programme intended to support innovation in these regions.
The Commission also announced the launching a second task force to improve waste management and promote the circular economy in the Canary Islands. This task force will use the existing model in Reunion Island to support energy autonomy and transition.
The Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Creţu, also recalled that the Commission had proposed a whole series of initiatives (21 in all) specifically aimed at the ORs in the next multiannual financial framework (MFF). The institution also points out that the Juncker plan has made it possible to raise an additional 2.2 billion euros in investment mobilised by the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI).
The President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, has cancelled his visit alongside Commissioner Creţu due to the summit scheduled for Sunday 25 November on the agreement reached on the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the Union.
To consult the list of proposals in the next MFF: https://bit.ly/2R6cNQL. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)