The President of the Government of the Azores defended in Brussels the urgency of "closing ranks" in the defence of the Cohesion Policy and the Common Agricultural Policy for the period 2020, taking into account the reduction of Community funding due to the exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Brexit).
 
"We now face a scenario where the European Union will lose resources with "Brexit" and, at the same time, wants to increase expenditure in new areas such as migrations and the European defence system," stressed Vasco Cordeiro. The President of the Government met today with the European Commission's chief negotiator for the preparation and conduction of negotiations with the UK on Brexit, Michel Barnier.
 
Speaking to journalists at the end of a meeting, the President of the Government stated that, due to its complexity, this is not a matter that only concerns the Azores. This is the "time to close ranks in defence of these two policies."
 
"By 2016, 90 percent of the funds allocated to Portugal were legitimised by the Cohesion Policy and the Common Agricultural Policy. If we want to have a clear picture about this reality, and looking at the Partnership Agreement for 2014-2020, we should mention that 99 percent of the funds allocated to our country come from these two Community funding tools," stressed the government official.
 
"The data evidence the urgency and importance of this matter," Vasco Cordeiro warned, noting that "all steps that could be taken regarding this matter are welcome."
 
At this meeting, Vasco Cordeiro, who also chairs the Conference of Peripheral and Maritime Regions of Europe (CPMR), also called the EU for the need to maintain cooperation mechanisms with the regions that are part of the United Kingdom after the implementation of Brexit.
 
"Michel Barnier has an in-depth knowledge on regional policy and is aware of these issues," Vasco Cordeiro said, adding that he was able to note "his enlightenment and great awareness of the issues" involving European regions in the period after 2020.
 
Since September 2014, the President of the Government of the Azores has held the Presidency of CPMR, an interregional cooperation body that comprises 160 regions from 28 European states, congregating 200 million citizens.
 
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.