«I renew my desire to take an active part in the European Union to find, according to a constructive approach, shared solutions to common problems. A year ago, with the resolution on the Islands, we wanted to outline a path of dialogue with the institutions of the European Union to bring the issue of island territories onto the EU agenda. Today we ask that the European Commission, even before the next elections, translate the resolution into a proposal for a regulation ."
These are the words of the vice-president of the Regional Council, Giuseppe Fasolino, who spoke this morning in Brussels as part of the conference "The scenario after the European Parliament resolution on island regions: what are the next steps?".
Also at the center of Fasolino's speech was the proposal to establish an inter-institutional task force for the rights of the Islands, promoted by the President of the Region, Christian Solinas.
«A task force - explained Fasolino - strongly desired by the President and supported by all the Presidents of the Islands of Europe, which in addition to being a valid tool to accompany the work of the Commission would certainly be a strong signal that would bring Europe closer to our territories: we expect the European institutions, and the European Commission in particular, to take note of the social, economic and demographic challenges that the condition of insularity imposes on us".
Organized by the Brussels Office of the Sardinia Region which is the lead region of the partnership of the peripheral island regions of the Mediterranean consisting of Sardinia (Italy), Balearic Islands (Spain), Corsica (France), Gozo (Malta), Ionian Islands and Crete (Greece), the conference included in the framework of the "European Week of Regions and Cities" saw the participation, among others, of the president of the commission for regional development, Younous Omarjee.
«This is not a new issue in the European debate - highlighted vice-president Fasolino - The Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, in fact, declines the objective of cohesion, and therefore of overcoming the gaps in the level of development between regions, in three dimensions, one of which is the territorial one. Yet, the insular issue is still an open question , and a long way remains to be done to achieve full implementation of the provisions of the Treaty - he continued - Living on an island is not a neutral territorial condition, neither for citizens nor for businesses. For this reason, in 2023 our six island regions signed a political declaration to urge the European institutions to begin a path of collaboration with us".
The representative of the Solinas Council then recalled the stages and requests promoted by the Sardinia Region : «We have asked that the territorial question be institutionalized, through a task force in which the European Parliament, the European Commission, the Committee of the Regions, and the representatives of the island Regions. We have also asked that island territories be more considered in the formulation of European policies, right from the preliminary stages and this is why we believe it is important that the studies carried out by the European Commission contain a focus dedicated to island territories. I am referring in particular to the soon-to-be-published report on economic, social and territorial cohesion, which regularly neglects islands." «A similar request – he then highlighted – was presented to the Committee of the Regions, in relation to its annual report on the state of the regions and cities of the EU: we expect specific attention for our territories here too».
During 2023, Vice President Fasolino underlined again, «thanks to close collaboration with institutional entities present in Brussels, we managed to amend the European regulation which provides for the progressive decarbonisation of fuels in civil and commercial fleets , with exemption measures for routes that connect the islands to the continent. The interventions for the protection of the environment, which is a shared strategic objective and common heritage of our values in favor of a paradigm of greater climate protection, will produce as a side effect a significant increase in the costs of maritime transport, which is a vital infrastructure for island regions where, especially for goods, there are no alternative modes of transport. This device - he highlighted - is the clear example of the need for a preliminary assessment of the impacts that EU legislation and policies can produce in our territories, whose structural and permanent disadvantages require a specific approach".
«It is not a question of requesting a privileged position – the conclusion – but on the contrary allowing our citizens the same living conditions as other regions, and our companies being able to compete on equal terms with those present in other territories».
(Unioneonline/vl)