The President of the Government of the Azores said in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, on Wednesday morning that “the European Union should change its approach to fisheries by reintroducing, among other measures, the 200 mile protection area of the Azores sea and acknowledging the global benefits of a local, decentralised and environmentally responsible management.” 
For Carlos César, who spoke at the opening session of the 16th Conference of Presidents of Outermost Regions of the European Union, if this does not happen, it is a sign of “a reprehensible disregard for the good principles of preservation and sustainability of marine natural resources, and the concession of interests of parties that clash with the involved public interests.
Making a general approach to maritime affairs, the Azorean President also stressed the importance of allocating resources in the future funding of integrated maritime policy, taking into account the dimension of several regional maritime areas in Europe.
“The European Union should not only claim the quality and relevance of the primary and traditional sectors of the ORs, but also to strengthen the promotion of competitiveness, make a previous assessment of the impact of its policies and ensure the protection of producers’ income – one of the most important goals of the CAP, particularly in view of the end of the milk quota system,” stressed the President of the Regional Government.
Emphasising the need for answers and a clear definition of the European Commission about the specific interests of outermost regions, Carlos César expressed his belief that “a favourable definition to our claims is very important as well as a decisive influence in the context of future negotiations, mainly regarding to regional policy, in order to consolidate trends and tools adapted to the specific and exclusive reality of Outermost Regions.”
The task assigned to the ORs is difficult, especially in a context of economic recession, acknowledged Carlos César, but some people do not understand the reality of outermost regions, which is an additional constraint.
“An example is the legal services of the Commission which, contrary to provisions of the Treaty of Lisbon, have repeatedly refused to apply the Article 349 as a legal basis for various specific measures of the ORs. Regarding this situation, we must adopt a stronger position and demand the same firmness from our States,” said Carlos César.
The belief that Europe may become more prosperous, competitive and cohesive without detriment to social politics was another concern expressed by Carlos César to his peers of the ORs.
“That will only be possible through an effective reinforcement of European governance and not in a single country governing others, the establishment of a gradual recovery plan for the economy without jeopardising the European social project and not in the passivity towards the social instability of member-states, the cohesion of diversity and not in the division between those who have more or less present and future possibilities, the reinforcement of the role  of regional policy and, among other aspects, the implementation of policies for outermost regions in accordance with the provisions of the Treaty of Lisbon,” stressed Carlos César.
For the President of the Azorean Government, “if we do not follow the path towards European integration, Europe – our regions – will have more liabilities than benefits in a progressively global context.”
The 16th Conference of Presidents of Outermost Regions of the European Union brings together the representatives of the Azores, the Canary Islands, Guadalupe, Guyana, Madeira and Reunion, who will be joined by the President of Saint-Martin in the next conference, whose adherence to the ORs was formalised on Wednesday by a protocol.
The meeting held in Tenerife will mark the end of the Presidency of the Canary Islands. The French region of Martinique will take over the Presidency for a year. In October 2011, Carlos César will become the President of the Conference of Presidents of ORs.