The Regional Under Secretary of the Presidency for External Relations will participate in the 34th General Assembly held by the Islands Commission of the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR).This meeting will analyse the way how the new EU policies will help islands overcoming their challenges and seize opportunities.
 
"Participation in the Islands Commission is very important for the Region. Although the action taken by the Azores with European institutions is based on their statute as Outermost Region, embodied and reinforced in treaties, all measures to be implemented on the islands will also be applied to Outermost Regions, which are predominantly island territories," said Rodrigo Oliveira.

Being part of the programme of the Greek Presidency of the European Union, the 34th General Assembly of the Islands Commission takes places on Tuesday and Wednesday and will be attended by the European Commission for Regional and Urban Policy, Johannes Hahn.

The event will analyse several topics, including tourism, accessibility and the development of EU policies in the area of energy and fisheries.

Rodrigo Oliveira will speak about the challenges of agriculture and he will also participate in a round table on the development, funding and implementation of Cohesion Policy in island territories.

The Islands Commission of CPMR brings together the governments of 24 island territories from 12 countries, representing a total over 13 million European citizens. This body intends "to reinforce regional cohesion between islands, the development of common positions and the exchange of good practices. It also works with States and European institutions in order to draw their attention to the difficulties and challenges faced by island territories in Europe," stressed by the Regional Under Secretary of the Presidency for External Relations.