Cohesion Policy: EU outermost regions with a renewed strategy.

"It is necessary to define the important role of cohesion policy in the outermost regions so that these regions can contribute to the EU2020 objectives", highlighted Nuno Teixeira MEP, after his Report was adopted today by a large majority (565 votes in favour, 74 against and 21 abstentions) in Strasbourg.

Nuno Teixeira continued: "The adoption of this Report in the European Parliament is a good opportunity for the outermost regions to show the European Commission and the other Institutions their wish to reach their objectives of an intelligent, sustainable and inclusive growth."

The Report calls for a better governance and integration of the EU outermost regions in their geographical environments, highlighting the need to align the policies and the European measures implemented in these regions with the EU2020 Strategy, taking into account the financial and legislative proposals for the next 2014-2020 financial period.

"The European Parliament regrets however that, in its Communication on a Renewed Strategy for the Outermost Regions, the European Commission is foreseeing the drastic reduction of the additional allocation for 2014-2020, and the obligation to earmark 50% of this amount to modernisation and diversification of the economies, which make it difficult to attain the EU 2020 objectives", said the EPP Group MEP.

Finally, this Report, reflecting the set of proposals of the Monitoring Committee of the Conference of Presidents of the Outermost Regions, reiterates the need for a differentiated treatment for these regions, and calls for adapting the European policies to them.

"It is always important to remember that these regions, due to their specificities, deserve particular attention in the EU. Therefore, I hope that the European Commission will take into account in its Communication, scheduled to be published at the end of May, the measures included in this Report", concluded the European Parliament's Rapporteur.