Brussels, 26/06/2001 (Agence Europe) - At the meeting organized on Monday by the association Eurodom between the European Commission and officials for overseas territories (OSTs), French OST deputies questioned Commissioner Michel Barnier about enlargement, fearful of a drop in regional aid which, they say, is absolutely essential for them. Other subjects of concern were competition with neighbouring ACP States, especially in the perspective of the free-trade area of the Americas, and the future of the different exemption measures which OSTs benefit from (on excises, customs duties…). One of these deputies accused the European Union of having been unable, for 45 years, to settle questions that return relentlessly: bananas, excises…
Commissioner Barnier referred his interlocutors to Commissioner Lamy, who was not present, for trade issues, but answered others, reassuring the OSTs that they would remain eligible after enlargement. "Unfortunately, as it is a reflection of your level of development", most of the outermost regions will continue to benefit from Objective 1 aid", he said. Therefore, he declared to the representatives of these regions, "you must not remain outside the debate on the future" of this policy.
The meeting, organized in Brussels on Monday and Tuesday by this advice and lobbying association for companies and bodies in OSTs, was devoted to an assessment of Community policies in French overseas territories. Commissioner Barnier made an initial assessment of implementation of Article 299.2 of the Amsterdam Treaty on aid to the outermost regions (French DOMs, Azores, Madeira, Canaries), on the basis of a report presented to the European Council of Gothenburg, which "took note" of it. The Commissioner first broached support for traditional production in these countries, to stress that measures taken these past ten years thanks to the POSEI programme, aimed at the outermost regions, "have proved to be fairly effective". He cited the example of fisheries, for which the Commission is to make new proposals in the last quarter of this year, while calling on the Council to prolong the current system until end-2002.
Other field of action, the rekindling of economic activity, which, notably, passes through State aid (amendment to the July 2000 guidelines), tax (reduced tax on fuel in Madeira, which the Council approved in March), access to new technologies, and support for SMEs (forthcoming organisation of a seminar to help SMEs in these regions understand and benefit from Community programmes). Mr. Barnier also recalled that the Council had just reached a political agreement on amending several regulations allowing for an increase in the level of participation of the Structural Funds for projects in the outermost regions. Finally, third path for reflection, regional cooperation. Aware that the position of the outermost regions may be difficult regarding advantages granted to the least advanced countries, the Commission "will launch a survey on the impact of implementing the new agreement with the ACP and the "all except arms" decision, Barnier announced.
The meeting, that on Monday broached farm issues and tax measures, continued on Tuesday with State aid, fisheries, trade agreements between the EU and the least advanced countries.