The EU’s outermost regions

 

SUMMARY OF:

Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union — Article 349

Communication from the Commission — A stronger and renewed strategic partnership with the EU’s outermost regions

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE ARTICLE AND OF THE COMMUNICATION?

• The communication sets out a new approach to provide opportunities and to better address the specific needs of each of the EU’s nine outermost regions.
• Article 349 acknowledges the distinctive characteristics of the EU’s outermost regions and grants them a special status that allows the EU to take specific measures to support them.

KEY POINTS

Outermost regions

The European Union counts nine outermost regions:

• the Azores and Madeira (Portugal);
• the Canary Islands (Spain);
• Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Mayotte, Réunion, and Saint Martin (France).

Strands

The EU’s renewed strategy for the regions is based on four strands.

• 1.

  A strong partnership between the regions, the respective EU countries and the European Commission. The following tools are foreseen to:

  • set up ad hoc platforms to exchange views on the interests and concerns of the outermost regions, bringing together itself and the national and outermost regions’ authorities, as well as other relevant players;
  • launch dedicated task forces to address the specific needs of an individual outermost region, as necessary;
  • ensure that the concerns and interests of the outermost regions are given due consideration when evaluating the impact of European policies;
  • pay special attention to the outermost regions’ sensitive products in the context of the negotiations of trade agreements with non-EU countries;
  • cooperate with the EU countries to better involve the outermost regions in negotiations regarding fisheries.
• 2.

  Building on each region’s particular assets. The outermost regions have very specific natural assets, including:

  • a rich biodiversity;
  • significant zones of exclusive economic activity*;
  • a location and climate suitable for space and astrophysics activities;
  • a proximity to the markets of non-EU countries.

  Taking these assets into account, the Commission will take a number of steps, including:

  • a dedicated initiative for strategic investment with the European Investment Bank Group to enhance access to the European Fund for Strategic Investments;
  • considering specific measures to support blue economy sectors;
  • considering adapting State aid for the construction of new fishing vessels;
  • seeking to continue the EU agricultural scheme for the outermost regions and maintaining specific rules for the outermost regions in the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development;
  • considering providing specific support for the conservation of biodiversity and the sustainable use of the ecosystems services;
  • enhancing support and aid preparedness for the effects of climate change, including through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism;
  • integrating the good practices developed by the clean energy for EU islands initiative throughout the EU and internationally.
• 3.

  Enabling growth and job creation. The Commission will:

  • launch a dedicated coordination and support action in the Horizon 2020 work programme 2018-2020 to better enable the outermost regions to participate in the programme;
  • give particular attention to the outermost regions’ assets and specific needs when drawing the future EU research framework programmes;
  • intensify efforts to promote Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps;
  • better meet the outermost regions’ needs and facilitate their participation in the trans-European transport network programme, the Connecting Europe Facility and future EU programmes for transport.
• 4.

  Enhancing and scaling up cooperation. The Commission will:

  • consider targeting new EU investments on priority and larger-scale projects in the outermost regions’ geographic basins;
  • facilitate cooperation between the outermost regions and their neighbours by more closely aligning funding rules and by considering setting up joint programmes;
  • take into account the outermost regions’ concerns when negotiating or implementing international agreements and mobility partnerships with their neighbouring countries.

BACKGROUND

For more information, see:

• Regional policy and outermost regions (European Commission).

KEY TERMS

MAIN DOCUMENTS

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and the European Investment Bank — A stronger and renewed strategic partnership with the EU’s outermost regions (COM(2017) 623 final, 24.10.2017)

Consolidated version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union — Part Seven — General and final provisions — Article 349 (ex Article 299(2), second, third and fourth subparagraphs, TEC) (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, p. 195)

RELATED DOCUMENTS

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — Strengthening innovation in Europe’s regions: strategies for resilient, inclusive and sustainable growth (COM(2017) 376 final, 18.7.2017)

last update 26.11.2019