BETA


2016/2250(INI) Promoting cohesion and development in the outermost regions of the EU: implementation of Article 349 TFEU

Progress: Procedure completed

RoleCommitteeRapporteurShadows
Lead REGI OMARJEE Younous (icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL) PONGA Maurice (icon: PPE PPE), MANSCOUR Louis-Joseph (icon: S&D S&D), LEWER Andrew (icon: ECR ECR), VAN MILTENBURG Matthijs (icon: ALDE ALDE), D'AMATO Rosa (icon: EFDD EFDD)
Committee Opinion AGRI SERRÃO SANTOS Ricardo (icon: S&D S&D) James NICHOLSON (icon: ECR ECR), Sofia RIBEIRO (icon: PPE PPE), Miguel VIEGAS (icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL)
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
RoP 54

Events

2017/12/01
   EC - Commission response to text adopted in plenary
Documents
2017/07/06
   EP - Results of vote in Parliament
2017/07/06
   EP - Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
Details

The European Parliament adopted by 420 votes to 75, with 10 abstentions, a resolution on promoting cohesion and development in the outermost regions (ORs) of the EU: implementation of Article 349 of the TFEU.

Article 349 of the TFEU recognises the special economic and social situation of the ORs, which is compounded by factors (remoteness, insularity, small size, difficult topography and climate, dependence on a few products, etc.) the permanence and combination of which severely restrain their development.

However, the ORs also benefit from significant assets (potential of growing tourism-related activities, blue growth, significant renewable energy resources, a rich natural heritage and considerable biodiversity).

Stating that Article 349 of the TFEU has only been used in a limited manner, Parliament called on the Commission to propose an action plan accompanied, if necessary, by legislative initiatives making it possible to implement a consistent and effective strategy with regard to the outermost regions.

The broad themes of the resolution are as follows:

Agricultural policy : whilst noting that the POSEI programmes is essential for the purpose of maintaining production by the outermost regions and that it accords with the new objectives of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the resolution also stressed the need to:

provide better support for diversification of production in the outermost regions, and to introduce actions designed to resolve the market crises which certain sectors are facing (e.g. tomato and livestock sector); ensure better provision for the specific nature of ‘traditional’ agricultural sectors , particularly via common organisations of the market; establish a support scheme for sugar-cane growers in the event of a fall in world sugar prices, and maintain support for banana producers; adopt a legal framework for products under the organic label , and a legal framework concerning sanitary and phytosanitary issues that take into account the characteristics of agricultural in the outermost regions, in a tropical context; encourage the farmers of the ORs to promote their high-quality products by supporting the use of the ORs logo, as well as other forms of quality certification.

The efforts made in the outermost regions to modernise and to render their industries competitive should not be undermined by free trade agreements signed between the EU and third countries.

Trade policy : Members noted that the growing number of trade agreements with third countries, have weakened the agricultural sectors of the outermost regions. They called for the trade negotiations conducted by the Union to duly take into account the specific characteristics of outermost regions and products that are sensitive to them, in particular bananas, sugar, rum, tomatoes and fishery products. The Commission was urged to accompany proposals for trade agreements with impact analyses , which should, where relevant, address the outermost region dimension.

In the event that they are crucial for the protection of products from the ORs, tariff and non-tariff barriers should be maintained and safeguard clauses and stabilisation mechanisms be activated.

Sustainable maritime policy, fisheries and blue growth : the EU’s blue economy represents around 5.4 million jobs and a gross value added of around EUR 500 billion per year.

In this context, Members asked the Commission to consider setting up a support system for sustainable fisheries in the ORs and urged the Commission and the Council to implement all the measures set out in Parliament’s resolution of 27 April 2017 on the management of fishing fleets in the outermost regions.

Considering the wealth of the oceans , Parliament considered that sustainable ‘blue growth’ constitutes an opportunity to mitigate the structural inequalities between the ORs and continental Europe. It encouraged the Union and the Member States to further invest in the seas and oceans, especially in relation to the outermost regions. It suggested launching a genuine European programme for the ORs addressing the challenges on food security, sustainable agriculture, marine and maritime research and the bio-economy.

Cohesion policy : Members recalled that Article 349 TFEU provides for specific access to structural funds for the outermost regions and that, on that basis, all the ORs should be regarded as ‘ least developed regions ’. They called on Member States to fully implement the pre-conditions, with regard, in particular, to investment in the areas falling within their jurisdiction, so that European funds and policies in the outermost regions perform as well as possible.

Parliament called for:

the continuation of budget allocations to the ORs, of compensation of excess costs, and of all duly justified derogations intended to compensate them for their structural disadvantages; in the context of the next multiannual financial framework (MFF), for the strict application of the criteria laid down in the general regulation setting financial envelopes; more attention be paid, in the implementation of the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), to the ORs and the least developed and most isolated regions; intensify EU action to support and train young people in the ORs, particularly by means of the Youth Employment Initiative; the creation of an additional allocation within the framework of the ESF in order to support employability, mobility and training in the ORs.

Competition policy and state aid : the Commission is called upon to rely further on specific provisions of the TFEU in the Regional State Aid Guidelines and the GBER (General Block Exemption Regulation) in order to contribute to the economic and social development of the ORs and pay greater attention to them.

Members also called on the Commission to step up its action to combat the large monopolies in the ORs and extend the exceptional tax regimes for the outermost regions beyond 2020.

Research, the environment, education, culture, transport, energy and telecommunications : Members felt that crosscutting EU programmes should provide for access conditions specific to the ORs so as to ensure their effective participation and to promote their assets by means of programmes such as Horizon 2020, Creative Europe, COSME or LIFE. They also wanted to see:

the integration of the outermost regions fully into the trans-European transport, energy and telecommunications networks ; improvement in the way the common characteristics of the outermost regions are taken into account within the framework of the Erasmus programme; an impact study regarding the possibilities of applying the Natura 2000 programme to the French ORs, with a view to establishing the most appropriate tools for the protection of the biodiversity and environment of these regions; attention to the specific nature of the ORs when addressing matters relating to digital network coverage .

Lastly, the resolution called for a genuine European industrial strategy to be deployed in the ORs, generating jobs that cannot be outsourced, and based on the capacity of businesses to consolidate their local roots.

Documents
2017/07/06
   EP - End of procedure in Parliament
2017/07/05
   EP - Debate in Parliament
2017/06/14
   EP - Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
Details

The Committee on Regional Development adopted an own-initiative report by Younous OMARJEE (GUE/NGL, FR) on promoting cohesion and development in the outermost regions of the EU: implementation of Article 349 of the TFEU.

The outermost regions (ORs), while remaining an integral part of the EU, were recognised under Article 349 of the TFEU as having a special status. The report assessed implementation of Article 349, and analysed how EU policies and legislation can be better tailored to suit the Outermost Regions.

Stating that Article 349 of the TFEU has only been used in a limited manner, Members called on the Commission to propose an action plan accompanied, if necessary, by legislative initiatives making it possible to implement a consistent and effective strategy with regard to the outermost regions.

The broad themes of the report are as follows:

Agricultural policy : whilst noting that the POSEI programmes is essential for the purpose of maintaining production by the outermost regions and that it accords with the new objectives of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the report stressed the need to:

provide better support for diversification of production in the outermost regions, and to introduce actions designed to resolve the market crises which certain sectors are facing; ensure better provision for the specific nature of ‘traditional’ agricultural sectors , particularly via common organisations of the market; establish a support scheme for sugar-cane growers in the event of a fall in world sugar prices, and maintain support for banana producers; adopt a legal framework for products under the organic label , and a legal framework concerning sanitary and phytosanitary issues that take into account the characteristics of agricultural in the outermost regions, in a tropical context.

The efforts made in the outermost regions to modernise and to render their industries competitive should not be undermined by free trade agreements signed between the EU and third countries.

Trade policy: Members noted that the growing number of trade agreements with third countries, have weakened the agricultural sectors of the outermost regions. They called for the trade negotiations conducted by the Union to duly take into account the specific characteristics of outermost regions and products that are sensitive to them, in particular bananas, sugar, rum, tomatoes and fishery products. The Commission was urged to accompany proposals for trade agreements with impact analyses, which should, where relevant, address the outermost region dimension.

Sustainable maritime policy, fisheries and blue growth : the report asked the Commission to consider setting up a support system for sustainable fisheries in the ORs based on Article 349 TFEU, and urged the Commission and the Council to implement all the measures set out in Parliament’s resolution of 27 April 2017 on the management of fishing fleets in the outermost regions.

Considering the wealth of the oceans, Members considered that sustainable ‘blue growth’ constitutes an opportunity to mitigate the structural inequalities between the ORs and continental Europe and could help to make the ORs the focus of a future-centred European policy.

Welcoming the study launched by the Commission concerning the potential for sustainable blue development in the outermost regions, the report called for a genuine European programme for the ORs addressing the challenges on food security, sustainable agriculture, marine and maritime research and the bio-economy.

Cohesion policy : Members recalled that Article 349 TFEU provides for specific access to structural funds for the outermost regions and that, on that basis, all the ORs should be regarded as ‘least developed regions’. They called on Member States to fully implement the pre-conditions, with regard, in particular, to investment in the areas falling within their jurisdiction, so that European funds and policies in the outermost regions perform as well as possible. The report called for:

the continuation of budget allocations to the ORs, of compensation of excess costs, and of all duly justified derogations intended to compensate them for their structural disadvantages; in the context of the next multiannual financial framework (MFF), for the strict application of the criteria laid down in the general regulation setting financial envelopes; the creation of an additional allocation within the framework of the ESF in order to support employability, mobility and training in the ORs.

Competition policy and State aid : the Commission was invited to rely further on Articles 107(3)(a) and 349 of the TFEU in the Regional State Aid Guidelines and the GBER (General Block Exemption Regulation) in order to contribute to the economic and social development of the ORs and pay greater attention to them.

Research, the environment, education, culture, transport, energy and telecommunications: Members felt that crosscutting EU programmes should provide for access conditions specific to the ORs so as to ensure their effective participation and to promote their assets by means of programmes such as Horizon 2020, Creative Europe, COSME or LIFE. They also wanted to see:

the integration of the outermost regions fully into the trans-European transport , energy and telecommunications networks; improvement in the way the common characteristics of the outermost regions are taken into account within the framework of the Erasmus programme; an impact study regarding the possibilities of applying the Natura 2000 programme to the French ORs, with a view to establishing the most appropriate tools for the protection of the biodiversity and environment of these regions; attention to the specific nature of the ORs when addressing matters relating to digital network coverage.

Lastly, the report called for a genuine European industrial strategy to be deployed in the ORs, generating jobs that cannot be outsourced, and based on the capacity of businesses to consolidate their local roots.

Documents
2017/05/30
   EP - Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
2017/05/04
   EP - Committee opinion
Documents
2017/04/12
   EP - Amendments tabled in committee
Documents
2017/03/08
   EP - Committee draft report
Documents
2016/10/06
   EP - Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
2016/09/29
   EP - SERRÃO SANTOS Ricardo (S&D) appointed as rapporteur in AGRI
2016/07/14
   EP - OMARJEE Younous (GUE/NGL) appointed as rapporteur in REGI

Documents

Activities

Votes

A8-0226/2017 - Younous Omarjee - Résolution 06/07/2017 12:34:17.000 #

2017/07/06 Outcome: +: 420, -: 75, 0: 10
FR DE IT ES RO PT HU BG BE CZ IE LT FI HR SI SK AT DK SE LV NL LU EE MT CY PL EL GB
Total
53
60
38
35
23
20
15
13
18
14
9
8
11
10
7
9
10
10
14
7
20
4
4
4
1
41
6
40
icon: PPE PPE
148
3

Austria PPE

2

Luxembourg PPE

For (1)

1

Estonia PPE

For (1)

1

Malta PPE

2

Greece PPE

1
icon: S&D S&D
126

Hungary S&D

For (1)

1

Czechia S&D

3

Ireland S&D

For (1)

1

Croatia S&D

For (1)

1

Slovenia S&D

For (1)

1
3

Sweden S&D

5

Latvia S&D

1

Netherlands S&D

3

Luxembourg S&D

For (1)

1

Estonia S&D

For (1)

1

Malta S&D

2
icon: ALDE ALDE
57

Romania ALDE

3

Portugal ALDE

1
3

Ireland ALDE

For (1)

1

Croatia ALDE

2

Slovenia ALDE

For (1)

1

Latvia ALDE

1

Luxembourg ALDE

For (1)

1

Estonia ALDE

2
icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL
38

France GUE/NGL

2

Czechia GUE/NGL

2

Denmark GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

Sweden GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

Netherlands GUE/NGL

Abstain (1)

2

Cyprus GUE/NGL

1

Greece GUE/NGL

2
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
31

Hungary Verts/ALE

2

Belgium Verts/ALE

2

Lithuania Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Finland Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Croatia Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Slovenia Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Austria Verts/ALE

2

Denmark Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Sweden Verts/ALE

2

Latvia Verts/ALE

1

Netherlands Verts/ALE

1

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

United Kingdom Verts/ALE

3
icon: ENF ENF
25

Italy ENF

2

Romania ENF

1

Belgium ENF

Abstain (1)

1

Austria ENF

Against (1)

Abstain (1)

2

Netherlands ENF

2

Poland ENF

2

United Kingdom ENF

Against (1)

1
icon: NI NI
13

France NI

2

Germany NI

For (1)

Against (1)

2

Hungary NI

2

Poland NI

2

United Kingdom NI

Against (2)

2
icon: EFDD EFDD
23

Germany EFDD

Against (1)

1

Czechia EFDD

Against (1)

1

Poland EFDD

1
icon: ECR ECR
43

Romania ECR

For (1)

1

Bulgaria ECR

Against (1)

1

Belgium ECR

3

Czechia ECR

Against (1)

1

Finland ECR

Against (1)

2

Croatia ECR

Against (1)

1

Slovakia ECR

Against (1)

1

Denmark ECR

2

Latvia ECR

Against (1)

1

Netherlands ECR

2
AmendmentsDossier
354 2016/2250(INI)
2017/03/06 AGRI 61 amendments...
source: 601.021
2017/04/12 REGI 293 amendments...
source: 602.988

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

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Responsible Committee
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rapporteur
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  • body: EC dg: Regional and Urban Policy commissioner: CREȚU Corina
committees
  • type: Responsible Committee body: EP associated: False committee_full: Regional Development committee: REGI date: 2016-07-14T00:00:00 rapporteur: name: OMARJEE Younous group: European United Left - Nordic Green Left abbr: GUE/NGL shadows: name: PONGA Maurice group: Group of European People's Party abbr: EPP name: MANSCOUR Louis-Joseph group: Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats abbr: S&D name: LEWER Andrew group: European Conservatives and Reformists abbr: ECR name: VAN MILTENBURG Matthijs group: Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe abbr: ALDE name: D'AMATO Rosa group: Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy abbr: EFDD
  • type: Committee Opinion body: EP associated: False committee_full: Agriculture and Rural Development committee: AGRI date: 2016-09-29T00:00:00 rapporteur: name: SERRÃO SANTOS Ricardo group: Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats abbr: S&D
docs
  • date: 2017-03-08T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=COMPARL&mode=XML&language=EN&reference=PE597.418 title: PE597.418 type: Committee draft report body: EP
  • date: 2017-04-12T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=COMPARL&mode=XML&language=EN&reference=PE602.988 title: PE602.988 type: Amendments tabled in committee body: EP
  • date: 2017-05-04T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=COMPARL&mode=XML&language=EN&reference=PE599.568&secondRef=02 title: PE599.568 committee: AGRI type: Committee opinion body: EP
  • date: 2017-12-01T00:00:00 docs: url: /oeil/spdoc.do?i=29953&j=0&l=en title: SP(2017)619 type: Commission response to text adopted in plenary
events
  • date: 2016-10-06T00:00:00 type: Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP
  • date: 2017-05-30T00:00:00 type: Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading body: EP
  • date: 2017-06-14T00:00:00 type: Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A8-2017-0226&language=EN title: A8-0226/2017 summary: The Committee on Regional Development adopted an own-initiative report by Younous OMARJEE (GUE/NGL, FR) on promoting cohesion and development in the outermost regions of the EU: implementation of Article 349 of the TFEU. The outermost regions (ORs), while remaining an integral part of the EU, were recognised under Article 349 of the TFEU as having a special status. The report assessed implementation of Article 349, and analysed how EU policies and legislation can be better tailored to suit the Outermost Regions. Stating that Article 349 of the TFEU has only been used in a limited manner, Members called on the Commission to propose an action plan accompanied, if necessary, by legislative initiatives making it possible to implement a consistent and effective strategy with regard to the outermost regions. The broad themes of the report are as follows: Agricultural policy : whilst noting that the POSEI programmes is essential for the purpose of maintaining production by the outermost regions and that it accords with the new objectives of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the report stressed the need to: provide better support for diversification of production in the outermost regions, and to introduce actions designed to resolve the market crises which certain sectors are facing; ensure better provision for the specific nature of ‘traditional’ agricultural sectors , particularly via common organisations of the market; establish a support scheme for sugar-cane growers in the event of a fall in world sugar prices, and maintain support for banana producers; adopt a legal framework for products under the organic label , and a legal framework concerning sanitary and phytosanitary issues that take into account the characteristics of agricultural in the outermost regions, in a tropical context. The efforts made in the outermost regions to modernise and to render their industries competitive should not be undermined by free trade agreements signed between the EU and third countries. Trade policy: Members noted that the growing number of trade agreements with third countries, have weakened the agricultural sectors of the outermost regions. They called for the trade negotiations conducted by the Union to duly take into account the specific characteristics of outermost regions and products that are sensitive to them, in particular bananas, sugar, rum, tomatoes and fishery products. The Commission was urged to accompany proposals for trade agreements with impact analyses, which should, where relevant, address the outermost region dimension. Sustainable maritime policy, fisheries and blue growth : the report asked the Commission to consider setting up a support system for sustainable fisheries in the ORs based on Article 349 TFEU, and urged the Commission and the Council to implement all the measures set out in Parliament’s resolution of 27 April 2017 on the management of fishing fleets in the outermost regions. Considering the wealth of the oceans, Members considered that sustainable ‘blue growth’ constitutes an opportunity to mitigate the structural inequalities between the ORs and continental Europe and could help to make the ORs the focus of a future-centred European policy. Welcoming the study launched by the Commission concerning the potential for sustainable blue development in the outermost regions, the report called for a genuine European programme for the ORs addressing the challenges on food security, sustainable agriculture, marine and maritime research and the bio-economy. Cohesion policy : Members recalled that Article 349 TFEU provides for specific access to structural funds for the outermost regions and that, on that basis, all the ORs should be regarded as ‘least developed regions’. They called on Member States to fully implement the pre-conditions, with regard, in particular, to investment in the areas falling within their jurisdiction, so that European funds and policies in the outermost regions perform as well as possible. The report called for: the continuation of budget allocations to the ORs, of compensation of excess costs, and of all duly justified derogations intended to compensate them for their structural disadvantages; in the context of the next multiannual financial framework (MFF), for the strict application of the criteria laid down in the general regulation setting financial envelopes; the creation of an additional allocation within the framework of the ESF in order to support employability, mobility and training in the ORs. Competition policy and State aid : the Commission was invited to rely further on Articles 107(3)(a) and 349 of the TFEU in the Regional State Aid Guidelines and the GBER (General Block Exemption Regulation) in order to contribute to the economic and social development of the ORs and pay greater attention to them. Research, the environment, education, culture, transport, energy and telecommunications: Members felt that crosscutting EU programmes should provide for access conditions specific to the ORs so as to ensure their effective participation and to promote their assets by means of programmes such as Horizon 2020, Creative Europe, COSME or LIFE. They also wanted to see: the integration of the outermost regions fully into the trans-European transport , energy and telecommunications networks; improvement in the way the common characteristics of the outermost regions are taken into account within the framework of the Erasmus programme; an impact study regarding the possibilities of applying the Natura 2000 programme to the French ORs, with a view to establishing the most appropriate tools for the protection of the biodiversity and environment of these regions; attention to the specific nature of the ORs when addressing matters relating to digital network coverage. Lastly, the report called for a genuine European industrial strategy to be deployed in the ORs, generating jobs that cannot be outsourced, and based on the capacity of businesses to consolidate their local roots.
  • date: 2017-07-05T00:00:00 type: Debate in Parliament body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20170705&type=CRE title: Debate in Parliament
  • date: 2017-07-06T00:00:00 type: Results of vote in Parliament body: EP docs: url: https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=29953&l=en title: Results of vote in Parliament
  • date: 2017-07-06T00:00:00 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P8-TA-2017-0316 title: T8-0316/2017 summary: The European Parliament adopted by 420 votes to 75, with 10 abstentions, a resolution on promoting cohesion and development in the outermost regions (ORs) of the EU: implementation of Article 349 of the TFEU. Article 349 of the TFEU recognises the special economic and social situation of the ORs, which is compounded by factors (remoteness, insularity, small size, difficult topography and climate, dependence on a few products, etc.) the permanence and combination of which severely restrain their development. However, the ORs also benefit from significant assets (potential of growing tourism-related activities, blue growth, significant renewable energy resources, a rich natural heritage and considerable biodiversity). Stating that Article 349 of the TFEU has only been used in a limited manner, Parliament called on the Commission to propose an action plan accompanied, if necessary, by legislative initiatives making it possible to implement a consistent and effective strategy with regard to the outermost regions. The broad themes of the resolution are as follows: Agricultural policy : whilst noting that the POSEI programmes is essential for the purpose of maintaining production by the outermost regions and that it accords with the new objectives of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the resolution also stressed the need to: provide better support for diversification of production in the outermost regions, and to introduce actions designed to resolve the market crises which certain sectors are facing (e.g. tomato and livestock sector); ensure better provision for the specific nature of ‘traditional’ agricultural sectors , particularly via common organisations of the market; establish a support scheme for sugar-cane growers in the event of a fall in world sugar prices, and maintain support for banana producers; adopt a legal framework for products under the organic label , and a legal framework concerning sanitary and phytosanitary issues that take into account the characteristics of agricultural in the outermost regions, in a tropical context; encourage the farmers of the ORs to promote their high-quality products by supporting the use of the ORs logo, as well as other forms of quality certification. The efforts made in the outermost regions to modernise and to render their industries competitive should not be undermined by free trade agreements signed between the EU and third countries. Trade policy : Members noted that the growing number of trade agreements with third countries, have weakened the agricultural sectors of the outermost regions. They called for the trade negotiations conducted by the Union to duly take into account the specific characteristics of outermost regions and products that are sensitive to them, in particular bananas, sugar, rum, tomatoes and fishery products. The Commission was urged to accompany proposals for trade agreements with impact analyses , which should, where relevant, address the outermost region dimension. In the event that they are crucial for the protection of products from the ORs, tariff and non-tariff barriers should be maintained and safeguard clauses and stabilisation mechanisms be activated. Sustainable maritime policy, fisheries and blue growth : the EU’s blue economy represents around 5.4 million jobs and a gross value added of around EUR 500 billion per year. In this context, Members asked the Commission to consider setting up a support system for sustainable fisheries in the ORs and urged the Commission and the Council to implement all the measures set out in Parliament’s resolution of 27 April 2017 on the management of fishing fleets in the outermost regions. Considering the wealth of the oceans , Parliament considered that sustainable ‘blue growth’ constitutes an opportunity to mitigate the structural inequalities between the ORs and continental Europe. It encouraged the Union and the Member States to further invest in the seas and oceans, especially in relation to the outermost regions. It suggested launching a genuine European programme for the ORs addressing the challenges on food security, sustainable agriculture, marine and maritime research and the bio-economy. Cohesion policy : Members recalled that Article 349 TFEU provides for specific access to structural funds for the outermost regions and that, on that basis, all the ORs should be regarded as ‘ least developed regions ’. They called on Member States to fully implement the pre-conditions, with regard, in particular, to investment in the areas falling within their jurisdiction, so that European funds and policies in the outermost regions perform as well as possible. Parliament called for: the continuation of budget allocations to the ORs, of compensation of excess costs, and of all duly justified derogations intended to compensate them for their structural disadvantages; in the context of the next multiannual financial framework (MFF), for the strict application of the criteria laid down in the general regulation setting financial envelopes; more attention be paid, in the implementation of the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), to the ORs and the least developed and most isolated regions; intensify EU action to support and train young people in the ORs, particularly by means of the Youth Employment Initiative; the creation of an additional allocation within the framework of the ESF in order to support employability, mobility and training in the ORs. Competition policy and state aid : the Commission is called upon to rely further on specific provisions of the TFEU in the Regional State Aid Guidelines and the GBER (General Block Exemption Regulation) in order to contribute to the economic and social development of the ORs and pay greater attention to them. Members also called on the Commission to step up its action to combat the large monopolies in the ORs and extend the exceptional tax regimes for the outermost regions beyond 2020. Research, the environment, education, culture, transport, energy and telecommunications : Members felt that crosscutting EU programmes should provide for access conditions specific to the ORs so as to ensure their effective participation and to promote their assets by means of programmes such as Horizon 2020, Creative Europe, COSME or LIFE. They also wanted to see: the integration of the outermost regions fully into the trans-European transport, energy and telecommunications networks ; improvement in the way the common characteristics of the outermost regions are taken into account within the framework of the Erasmus programme; an impact study regarding the possibilities of applying the Natura 2000 programme to the French ORs, with a view to establishing the most appropriate tools for the protection of the biodiversity and environment of these regions; attention to the specific nature of the ORs when addressing matters relating to digital network coverage . Lastly, the resolution called for a genuine European industrial strategy to be deployed in the ORs, generating jobs that cannot be outsourced, and based on the capacity of businesses to consolidate their local roots.
  • date: 2017-07-06T00:00:00 type: End of procedure in Parliament body: EP
procedure
reference
2016/2250(INI)
title
Promoting cohesion and development in the outermost regions of the EU: implementation of Article 349 TFEU
subject
type
INI - Own-initiative procedure
subtype
Implementation
legal_basis
Rules of Procedure EP 54
Modified legal basis
Rules of Procedure EP 159
stage_reached
Procedure completed
dossier_of_the_committee
REGI/8/08012