Insularity, the EU Parliament examines the "Pact for the Islands"
The text that could lead to new rules on new state aid to island territories will be discussed on 6 June. The regional council sends a letter to the Italian MEPsThe EU Parliament (Ansa)
The Regional Council of Sardinia has sent a letter to all Italian MEPs to support the approval of the Pact for the Islands , or the resolution of the European Union , proposed by the President of the Commission for Regional Development Younous Omarjee , which will be examined on June 6 from the Strasbourg Parliament and which would have important repercussions on the development of the island.
The text, in fact, - explains the Regional Council in a note - "envisages the creation of a sub-category 'Islands' for the application of the rules on state aid , which would allow the approval of an ad hoc regulation, precisely, for the islands.
The need to focus on the approval of the Pact emerged during the last session of the Special Commission for the recognition of the principle of insularity, chaired by Michele Cossa (Riformatori) , who heard Alessio Zuddas , researcher at the University of Cagliari.
Zuddas is carrying out the study to start the preparatory process for the establishment of an EGTC (European Group of Territorial Cooperation) and of a MedOc Western Mediterranean or Insular Macroregion.
"During a conference organized by the Region of Sicily in which Omarjee himself took part, I highlighted - President Cossa underlined - the crucial importance of intervening on the Guidelines and European Regulations for a less rigid application of the rules on competition, fundamental above all in the field of transport and territorial continuity ".
In his report, Zuddas highlighted how the permanent disadvantage due to insularity has also strongly influenced the economic development of the Region of Sardinia , with the application of national and community rules and regulations that have found common and uniform application in the national territory, but which have not they took into account the economic and commercial disadvantage due to the higher cost of transport to and from the island ".
Limitations, explained Zuddas, which have influenced the social and economic development of the island, with an estimated cost equivalent to a tax of 5,700 euros / per capita ” .
"In the preliminary study - continues the note from the Regional Council - presented today, the researcher highlighted the geographical and political distance of Sardinian citizens from the European Union which was expressed in 2019 with a turnout of 37.2% against 81 % of 1979. Zuddas also reiterated the importance of creating an EGTC (European Group of Territorial Cooperation) with the other island regions to have more weight in Europe on common matters such as territorial continuity, and highlighted how Sardinia, with the inclusion of the principle of insularity in the Constitution, is well ahead of other European island regions ”.
(Unioneonline / lf)
