The President of the Government stressed the importance and timeliness of the General Assembly of the Conference of Peripheral and Maritime Regions of Europe (CPMR), which begins today in Madeira, at a time when the future multiannual financial perspectives and the various scenarios proposed by the Commission on the future of the European Union are under discussion.
 
"This meeting takes place at a particularly important time for the European Union and the European Regions. We are not just talking about a discussion about multiannual financial perspectives for the 2021-2027 period that is under way. It is also a moment that is very important from a political standpoint. We will discuss the various scenarios that the European Union must follow as well as the elections for the European Parliament next year," said Vasco Cordeiro.
 
The President of the Azorean Government, who also chairs CPMR, SPOKE Wednesday in Funchal at a joint press conference with the President of the Government of Madeira, Miguel Albuquerque, on the eve of the General Assembly of this interregional cooperation organisation. The meeting will be attended by more than 220 delegates, including Presidents of European Regions, elected politicians representing the members of CPMR, Members of the European Parliament and senior officials of the European Commission.
 
Regarding the discussion of the multiannual financial framework, Vasco Cordeiro assured that this is a subject that has been closely monitored by the Azorean Government, bearing in mind the ongoing debate on the reconciliation of traditional European Union policies with new needs and new approaches.
 
"These traditional policies, such as the Cohesion Policy and the Common Agricultural Policy, are particularly relevant for our country and our autonomous regions," the President of the Government stressed, defending that this matter should not be discussed in terms of "being with the new or with the old policies."
 
"This cannot be regarded in this perspective, given the importance of the Cohesion Policy for what Europe represents today," assured the President of the Government, who has chaired the CPMR since 2014.
 
At this 46th meeting of CPMR, which will also elect the organisation bodies for the next two years, the representatives of European regions will analyse matters such as the future of Europe, the next Community Budget and Cohesion Policy, culminating in the definition of a political position of the CPMR. It will be then presented to Community institutions in the context of ongoing negotiations on the forthcoming Community funds and the preparations for the European Parliament elections next year.
 
The agenda of this General Assembly also includes panels on accessibility and transport, Integrated Maritime Policy, migration and climate change, the areas where the CPMR has been working more closely towards the development of policies and influence with European decision makers.
 
The mission of CPRM is to defend the interests of its members within national and European institutions, through the promotion of territorial cohesion and regional power in Europe as well as through the reinforcement of the peripheral and maritime dimension of the European Union.
 
The CPMR has several working groups on specific themes of interest to maritime regions and is divided into six geographic commissions (Islands, Atlantic Arc, North Sea, Baltic Sea, Intermediterranean, Balkans and Black Sea).