Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-03-15-Speech-4-020"
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"en.20070315.3.4-020"2
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".
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, how can we not take into account the structural disadvantages of our islands in Europe? It was vital for this issue to be an objective in the EU regulations on State aid. The own-initiative report on islands in the European Union and their undeniable constraints, presented by my highly esteemed colleague, Mr Musotto, is a milestone in recognising the importance of islands within the context of Europe’s regional development.
In this parliamentary term, this is the first time that I have found myself analysing and commenting on a report that is so valuable and worthy of endorsement. It is worthy of endorsement because it considers all the aspects necessary and is very balanced in its approach, as well as being absolutely worthy of support on its merits and with regard to its aims. I will be happy to vote for it and I hope that it receives full endorsement from all my fellow Members.
Is it possible for the EU not to take into account a statistically undeniable fact, which is that approximately 15 million citizens live on islands, and that over 90% of these people have incomes lower than the European average? The main causes of this state of affairs are the undeniable structural deficits directly resulting from island status, and for too long the European Union has all but ignored this fact.
Now, the valuable Musotto report, as well as setting out in the observations reasons for this underdevelopment, and clearly describing the specific resources of islands, finally focuses on what action the Union can take, and through which specific tools, analyses and statistics, as part of the allocation of the Structural Funds and aid to disadvantaged areas, to accommodate the structural disadvantages of islands. This course is one that we owe to island communities, acknowledging both their role in European civilisation and their current role as an extremely important environmental and economic resource for the European Union.
If the islands are sustained within the undeniable constraints on their development that they still face in the shape of obstacles associated with island status, and if due consideration is taken of this in the guidelines on the Structural Funds, the European Union will be making a significant contribution to removing inequalities, or, in fact, discrimination, which is not only unjustifiable in terms of the Community
but antithetical to the established objective of fair and consistent development of Europe’s regions."@en1
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