The Regional Director for Rural Development urged European institutions in Brussels to be coherent in their words and actions, highlighting the importance of POSEI in the development of agriculture in Outermost Regions, such as the Azores.
 
"What we ask from these European institutions is the coherence in both their words and their actions. The budget of the Common Agricultural Policy for 2021-2027 is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate that they are coherent and that are the first to respect the principle of cohesion, which is the pillar of the European Union," said Fernando Sousa. The government official is part of the Azorean delegation who travelled to Brussels that also includes the President of the Azores Agricultural Federation, Jorge Rita.
 
The Regional Director for Rural Development represents the Azorean Government in the delegation of Outermost Regions, which is meeting today and Tuesday in the Belgian capital. This initiative intends to raise the awareness of the European Commission for the importance of POSEI in the development of agriculture in island territories.
 
The European Commission's initial proposal for a post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) budget envisages a 3.9 percent cut in POSEI, which the Azorean Government has already considered unacceptable and unfair.
 
Fernando Sousa said that cutting the POSEI budget by 3.9% in the next Community framework would represent, for example, 21 million Euros less for the Azores. This a significant amount in face of the challenges that the agricultural sector still has to overcome in the archipelago.
 
In this context, the Regional Director pointed out "three clear and justifiable arguments" for the Azores' claim, which coincide with the claims of other EU Outermost Regions.
 
"Firstly, it is Europe itself that recognises our specificities and difficulties in Article 349 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. Secondly, agriculture in the Azores accounts for 50% of the economy as it ensures the maintenance of the rural environment by combating the depopulation of these areas and promoting their economic and social cohesion. Last but not least, the President of the EU Commission has recently presented a communication stating that he would neither reduce nor correct POSEI in the next Community framework," stated Fernando Sousa. In this regard, the government official added that several documents from the Commission, the Council and the European Parliament acknowledge the importance of POSEI for Outermost Regions.
 
"But after all, what they do is completely different," warned Fernando Sousa.
 
The Regional Director for Rural Development stressed that ORs together can be considered as another Member State, given their geostrategic importance for the European Union in the international context.
 
"This is also why we are increasingly working together to defend our regions, strengthening ties of solidarity," said Fernando Sousa.
 
The European Union comprises nine Outermost Regions, geographically far from the European continent, such as the Azores and Madeira (Portugal), the Canary Islands (Spain), Guadeloupe, Reunion, French Guiana, Martinique, Saint Martin and Mayotte (France).
 
The programme of the delegation of Outermost Regions in Brussels includes meetings with the Advisers for Agriculture and Outermost Regions of the Permanent Representation of Portugal, Spain and France, meetings with MEPs from Outermost Regions at the European Parliament. Moreover, there are scheduled meetings with the European Commissioners for Agriculture, Phil Hogan, European Affairs, Pierre Moscovici, and Regional Policy, Corina Cretu.