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Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on How to achieve better integration of regions suffering from permanent natural and structural handicaps

(2005/C 221/23)

On 27 January 2004, the European Economic and Social Committee decided, in accordance with Rule 29(2) of its Rules of Procedure, to draw up an opinion on How to achieve better integration of regions suffering from permanent natural and structural handicaps.

The Section for Economic and Monetary Union and Economic and Social Cohesion, which was responsible for preparing the Committee's work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 19 January 2005. The rapporteur was Mr Barros Vale.

At its 414th plenary session of 9 and 10 February 2005 (meeting of 10 February), the European Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinion by 80 votes, with no votes against and three abstentions.

1.   Introduction and general comments

1.1   Identification and definition of the concept of regions with permanent natural and structural handicaps

1.2   Problems of European Union island regions

1.3   Problems of upland regions

1.4   Problems faced by areas with a low population density

1.5   Questions linked with transport and transport costs, either in per capita or in absolute terms

1.6   Telecommunications questions

1.7   Infrastructure and access to public services, namely ports, airports, railways, roads, health services, education and training and knowledge policy

1.8   Constraints and possibilities relating to the environment; diversity of ecosystems

1.9   Problems concerning economic activity; concentration of sectoral activities and the lack of alternatives; employment situation

1.10   Opportunities for tourism and recreation

1.11   Capacity to attract investment and generate opportunities to keep the population in a region and to develop its endogenous potential

1.12   Remoteness from the main markets and major decision-making centres; absence of a ‘critical mass’ for the economic sustainability of multiple activities

1.13   Situation of representative economic and social movements of the regions in question

1.14   Community and national policies for minimising permanent structural problems

1.15   Development of these regions over the years, in the light of the public policies which have been applied to them

1.16   The solidarity effort in structural policies

1.17   Objective 1 regions: a sustained and well-adapted effort

1.18   Revising the state aids systems (8)

2.   Conclusions and recommendations

2.5   What should such a policy entail?

2.6   Goals of a policy for regions with permanent handicaps

3.   Final comment

Brussels, 10 February 2005.

The President

of the European Economic and Social Committee

Anne-Marie SIGMUND

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(1)OJ C 61 of 14.3.2003, p.113.

(2)  Final report (2000.CE.16.0.AT.118), Analysis of the island regions and outermost regions of the European Union, March 2003.

(3)  The five criteria which Eurostat uses to define islands are as follows: they must have an area of at least one sq. km; they must be at least 1 km from the continent; they must have a permanent resident population of at least 50; they must have no permanent link with the continent; and they must not house an EU capital.

(4)  COM(2004) 492 final, Art. 52, point 1b) i)

(5)  Appendix XIX

(6)Mountain Areas in Europe: Analysis of mountain areas in EU Member States, acceding and other European countries, European Commission, January 2004.

(7)OJ C 61 of 14.3.2003, p. 187.

(8)  State aid is considered as direct transfers to enterprises under the form of grants, tax exemptions, equity participation, soft loans, tax deferrals and guarantees calculated so as to harmonise the state aid component data into a common comparable indicator across countries.

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