The President of the Government of the Azores, who will participate in the 16th Conference of Presidents of Outermost Regions in the Canary Islands this week, considers this Conference as “very important” in a context of great tension within European policy.
Speaking to journalists at the Ponta Delgada airport on Monday night before departing to Tenerife, Carlos César explained the reasons. “Firstly, it coincides with a particularly critical period for the European Union with regard to the financial and economic crisis. One must take into account that I am travelling to region, the Canary Islands, which currently registers an unemployment rate of 29% and it is part of a country that is undergoing a period of great upheaval, along with other countries such as France, which is also facing a period of disturbance in the present moment, and England where 500,000 civil servants were dismissed. Therefore, we are facing a very serious moment in terms of reviewing and restructuring policies and challenges to the administration. These challenges as well as all the problems we are currently facing are taken into account by the European Union concerning the support provided to Regional Policy and the support policy to Outermost Regions.”
For the President of the Government, “at this point it is fundamental not only to reiterate the support to Regional Policy and its respective financial envelope, but also to consolidate the development of Article 349 of the Treaty of Lisbon which emphasises the need of a specific policy for regions like ours.”
Carlos César believes that Europe has several options to overcome this crisis. “I think that it is time for us to boost our contribution, providing a more audacious contribution. Either we remain as we are, with several European countries facing impoverishment struggling with severe budget problems while Germany grows alone, imposing its policies on other countries at the expense of the impoverishment of other countries, or we clearly assume that the European Union is a space that needs an effective governance, an effective regulation in which Germany should participate with its respective responsibilities. This option is deemed necessary.”
“Those who consider that European federalism or less Europe or that more than national independence is very good for each country,” the President of the Government continued, “do not understand that they are being increasingly governed by a single country. Instead, those who defend a stronger Europe or a Europe of collective governance, are increasingly defending a democratic Europe where small countries are entitle to express their views and participate in the decision-making process. This is also a fundamental issue that will be under discussion at this Conference.
Furthermore, it is necessary to assess and make a balance of this Regional Policy. “The Azores,” Carlos César added, “are nowadays a European Outermost Region that registers 72% regarding the average of European wealth. The archipelago of Madeira, by contrast, has dropped in terms of GDP, according to the latest data made available in 2007. However, we are still far from the European average. This means that we still need more support to overcome the deficits of Outermost Regions so that we may continue the path towards convergence.”
The President of the Government, and member of the Conference, reminded that “over the last months, we have carried out a work that has been led by the Canary Islands, which now has to be pursued by the region of Martinique in a year that will be the preparation year for the Azorean presidency of the Conference of Outermost Regions from October 2011 to October 2012. We have followed a very important path with the approval of the Treaty of Lisbon as well as with our efforts among the European Parliament, which has reinforced its powers through a joint memorandum approved by Outermost Region in October 2009, a memorandum approved by member-states of Outermost Regions (Portugal, Spain and France), the organisation of the First Forum of Outermost Regions and unilateral or joint initiatives developed among the European Commission and other bodies.”
For Carlos César, “we believe the concept of “outermostness” and drawing the necessary attention to our regions in the context of European decision-making is something that has already been consolidated, but it still needs to be put into effect in various areas.”
The President of the Azorean Government stated that “the European Commission has often failed in some political areas, such as agriculture and fisheries, the implementation of the Article 349 of the Treaty of Lisbon. With regard to the policies concerning Outermost Regions, this European body has implemented general rules in detriment of the special rules stipulated in the aforementioned Articled, which should put into effect by the European Commission. This is a goal to be accomplished and consolidated next year.”
“Achieving, at least, the same percentage weight in terms of the financial envelope for Regional Policy and protecting the natural resources of these fragile regions in the context of maritime and fisheries policies” is another challenge considered by Carlos César for “the preparation of the post-2013 Europe.”
These are structural political aspects which the President of the Azorean Government wishes to influence next year and ensure them between October 2011 and October 2012. “We are going to lead the Conference of Presidents of Outermost Regions in a crucial period for the future of the European Union after 2013 and, therefore, this is also a year to prepare the decisions we want to be taken at that time,” concluded Carlos César.