The Regional Assistant Secretary of the Presidency for External Relations has expressed the Regional Government's satisfaction with the Final Declaration of the 22nd Conference of Presidents of Outermost Regions, namely the defence of the maintenance of cohesion policy in Outermost Regions (ORs).
 
According to Rui Bettencourt, the position of the nine presidents of the ORs, who defend the cohesion policy in the document recently signed, is "very important." In this regard, he emphasised that it is "a key policy for the development of Outermost Regions."
 
With the Declaration now issued, the ORs wish to "express their desire for the European Commission to continue recognising the specific constraints of Outermost Regions." It should also follow up on recent ruling by the European Court of Justice - Ruling of Mayotte - which "insists on this recognition and its transposition into effective policies," stressed the Secretary for External Relations.
 
"The Final Declaration addresses the relevance of this matter so that the cohesion policy may be maintained after 2020," said Rui Bettencourt. He considered that the document also acknowledges what has stated by the European Commission in its recent Communication: "this cohesion policy had yielded positive effects on Outermost Regions." Therefore, the Final Declaration "urges the Commission to commit itself to maintaining this cohesion policy in Outermost Regions from 2020 onwards."
 
In addition to the Final Declaration, the Outermost Regions of the European Union signed an agreement for the creation of a Smart Specialisation Strategy Network.
 
The ORs S3 Network aims to develop common orientations and positions under the Monitoring Committee of Outermost Regions as well as to ensure that their potential is duly taken into consideration in post-2020 European policies.
 
Furthermore, this network intends to proactive force for the adaptation of legislative and non-legislative documents of the European Union to the realities of the Outermost Regions in the Network's areas of interest, mobilising the necessary resources. It will also identify the financing mechanisms and opportunities for the creation and implementation of joint projects resulting from the Network's work as well as to participate in calls for projects and other initiatives launched by the European Union.