The European Commission’s two strategies for coastal regions and islands, with an emphasis on improving connectivity, strengthening competitiveness and resilience, and the well-being of their residents, were presented on Friday by the responsible Commissioners, Raffaele Fito and Costas Kadis, at the High-Level Conference “Strengthening the EU’s Islands and Coastal Communities” in Paphos.

The Strategies for Islands and Coastal Communities recognize that islands are not on the periphery of the European project, but are an integral part of the European identity, the EU’s resilience, competitiveness, security, and territorial cohesion, said Finance Minister Makis Keravnos, introducing the two “particularly important” strategies.

As the European Union plans its policies and investments for the next seven years, Mr. Keravnos said, “we must ensure that the needs of islands and coastal communities are taken into account in a systematic and effective manner.”

The Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis, noted that what makes coastal communities so important is the 95 million people living along Europe’s coasts, the 22 coastal member states, the total of 70,000 kilometers of coastline, and the support these communities provide to key sectors of the blue economy, such as maritime trade, tourism, fisheries, renewable energy, the blue bioeconomy, and Europe’s security.

Through these sectors, approximately 265 billion euros are added annually to the EU economy and millions of jobs are supported, he said.

The Executive Vice-President of the European Commission and Commissioner for Regional Policy, Raffaele Fito, in his own presentation, noted that more than 17 million people live on over 4,000 inhabited islands across the EU, pointing out that three of the EU’s member states consist entirely of islands. The islands, he said, contribute to Europe’s economic growth, its maritime dimension, environmental diversity, cultural heritage, as well as security and resilience, and are hubs of innovation, entrepreneurship, strong local identity, and unique natural resources.

Keravnos: “The real challenge is the transition from vision to action”

The two Strategies, Mr. Keravnos said in his speech, each constitute, individually, a comprehensive and coherent framework for recognizing the challenges faced by islands and coastal communities, such as the small size of the market, dependence on transportation, and the increased cost of connectivity. 

At the same time, they also serve as a framework for promoting practical policies and measures to address the disadvantages arising from their geographical specificities, which can contribute to strengthening the economic, social, and territorial cohesion of the Union, he added.

Noting that the recognition of the island dimension was one of the key topics of discussion at the Informal Meeting of Ministers for Cohesion Policy, held on June 4–5 in Nicosia, Mr. Keravnos stated that one issue discussed, “and which is directly linked to the two Strategies, was ‘the Right to Stay’—that is, the right of people to live and build a life in the place where they were born, rather than being forced to leave it out of necessity.”

The islands of the European Union and coastal communities, he said, are regions of unparalleled natural beauty, with significant development potential and a crucial geopolitical role for Europe. “Coastal communities are also pillars of the blue economy and maritime connectivity, while being directly affected by the impacts of climate change and the challenges of protecting the marine environment,” he added.

“We must create the right conditions so that the residents of these areas can remain in their homes and build their future and the future of Europe, with prosperity and security,” said Mr. Keravnos.

The ability of citizens to remain, prosper, and thrive on the islands and in coastal communities requires equal opportunities for access to infrastructure, services, and connectivity, he noted. It also requires local communities that create quality jobs and capitalize on each region’s strengths, he said, noting that ensuring this right is directly linked to resilience, economic development, and the preservation of the cultural and social identity of these regions.

For Cyprus, however, Mr. Keravnos said, the discussion on the right to remain has an additional dimension. He noted that Cyprus has been a member state of the European Union since 2004, but, “despite this, its citizens cannot live and work in the place where they were born, due to the ongoing Turkish occupation.” “This reminds us that the right to remain is not just about economic development or social cohesion.  It also concerns freedom, security, dignity, and the fundamental right of people to remain in their homeland,” he said.

The Strategies for Islands and Coastal Communities recognize that islands are not on the margins of the European project, he said, but “are an integral part of our Union’s European identity, resilience, competitiveness, security, and territorial cohesion.”

The real challenge, Mr. Keravnos said, is the transition from vision to action. “From identifying problems to implementing concrete solutions. From general policies to targeted interventions that address the specific needs of each region,” he concluded.

Fito: Addressing insularity is of crucial importance

In presenting the EU Strategy for Islands, Commissioner Fito noted that islands face structural challenges linked to insularity, such as distance from mainland markets, dependence on maritime and air transport, higher transportation costs, and limited economies of scale.

He also pointed out that in many island municipalities, transportation costs, housing prices, and the cost of providing public services are significantly higher compared to mainland areas.

As he noted, the Strategy is based on four pillars: economic development and connectivity, energy, climate, and the environment, people and demographic challenges, as well as security and crisis preparedness, with governance serving as a cross-cutting theme that runs through all pillars.

Referring to the “cost of insularity,” Mr. Fito stated that this has “real economic and social consequences” and that addressing it is crucial for realizing the islands’ full economic and social potential.

“This is precisely why the Commission adopted the EU Islands Strategy,” he said, adding that its aim is to create a coordinated framework that will guide EU action and support Member States in designing and implementing policies and investments that meet the specific needs.

The Commissioner noted that the development of territorial strategies is part of a broader and ambitious effort to modernize cohesion policy.

“We all know that maintaining the status quo is not an option. We must modernize cohesion policy so that it can respond to new challenges and priorities,” he said, adding that, as part of the mid-term review of cohesion policy, 25 member states reallocated more than 34 billion euros— approximately 10% of cohesion policy funds, toward competitiveness, affordable housing, energy, water resilience, and defense.

At the same time, the mid-term review channeled more than 1.5 billion euros to support strategic priorities in island regions, he said, noting that “the work is not yet complete” and that governments and regions can continue to reprogram available resources.

“The next opportunity to modernize the structure of European funds and improve European Union spending is the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF),” he said.

He also noted that the European Commission’s proposal for the new MFF aims to modernize cohesion policy by introducing greater flexibility and simplification, which, he said, is reflected in the National and Regional Partnership Agreements.

The Commissioner noted that the Islands Strategy, as well as the other four complementary territorial strategies, form an important basis for the preparation of the National and Regional Partnership Plans.

Mr. Fito also noted that the Strategy is part of a broader package of territorial strategies, along with initiatives for cities, eastern border regions, the outermost regions, and the upcoming Strategy on the Right to Stay. Taken together, he said, they reflect a spatially oriented approach to cohesion policy, recognizing that each region has its own specific needs and requires targeted solutions.

Linking the new initiative to the ongoing modernization of cohesion policy and the preparation of the next Multiannual Financial Framework, the Commissioner noted that future National and Regional Partnership Agreements will be based on these territorial strategies, while fully respecting the constitutional framework of each Member State.

Concluding his speech, Mr. Fito described the Strategy as “a starting point rather than a final destination,” calling on the EU institutions, national governments, and regional and local authorities to work together so that the vision can be translated into concrete actions for European islands.

Kadis: “A unified and coherent policy framework to improve the implementation of relevant European policies”

In presenting the “first EU strategy dedicated to coastal communities,” Kadis stated that the island of Cyprus and the coastal community of Paphos constitute “an ideal setting for presenting the recently adopted EU policy package dedicated to islands and coastal communities.”

He noted that the EU’s strategy for coastal communities combines the Commission’s existing and future actions that address the challenges and opportunities facing Europe’s coastal regions.

Referring to the importance of the Strategy, Mr. Kadis noted that the EU already supports coastal communities through sectoral policies and a range of regional policy and planning tools.

However, he continued, these policies are often fragmented and scattered across different frameworks. “This makes it more difficult for Member States to develop coherent national approaches for coastal communities,” he added, noting that the Strategy is designed to address this shortcoming. With 13 flagship actions, he said, the Strategy provides a unified and coherent policy framework to improve the implementation of relevant European policies and ensures that the needs of coastal communities are better reflected in the initiatives of the .

It also operates in parallel with and in support of the complementary strategies for islands and outermost regions, he said.

The Strategy, Mr. Kadis noted, is based on three pillars: prosperity, resilience, and liveability of coastal communities.

According to the Commissioner’s presentation, the first pillar focuses on boosting economic growth in coastal regions by diversifying the blue economy and creating new employment opportunities. The Strategy includes measures to leverage marine data, develop the blue bioeconomy, certify “blue carbon” initiatives (blue carbon credits), and the promotion of innovative technologies and partnerships that will enhance the competitiveness of coastal communities.

The second pillar aims to strengthen the resilience of coastal regions in the face of climate change and environmental and socioeconomic challenges. It provides for investments in climate change adaptation projects, measures to protect and restore marine ecosystems, as well as the use of advanced digital tools for forecasting and managing extreme weather events.

The third pillar focuses on improving the quality of life in coastal areas so that they remain attractive places to live and work. The Strategy promotes investments in education, skills, and youth employment; enhances access to essential services, connectivity, and affordable housing; while also leveraging initiatives such as the New European Bauhaus to improve the built environment and social cohesion.

The implementation of the Strategy, Mr. Kadis said, is based on better utilization and alignment of funding and investment instruments, programs, and implementing bodies of the EU, such as the European Investment Bank, national development banks, and multilateral financial institutions.

In this context, he said, the Strategy’s priorities are expected to be reflected in future EU financing instruments as well, noting that the success of the initiative requires close coordination at the European, national, regional, and local levels.

Potential Benefits of the Strategy for Cyprus

Mr. Kadis gave examples of how Cyprus could benefit from the strategy.

He noted that Cypriot research institutions, such as the Centers of Excellence—the Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute, Eratosthenes, and KOIOS, as well as the Oceanographic Center of the University of Cyprus, can participate in the Ocean Eye marine environment observation initiative.

A second example, he said, is supporting the further development of fishing tourism, which can provide supplementary income for small-scale fishermen while also enriching the tourism product, thereby supporting coastal communities.

Cyprus, he said, can benefit from the development of a methodology for certifying blue carbon initiatives.

Source: CNA