COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Putting people first, securing sustainable and inclusive growth, unlocking the potential of the EU’s outermost regions
Date: 2022-05-03
Institutions: Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, European Commission
Subjects: Azores, Canary Islands, EU regional policy, French overseas department and region, Madeira, coronavirus disease, epidemic, peripheral region, regional aid, regional cooperation, regional development, sustainable development

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Strasbourg, 3.5.2022  COM(2022) 198 final  COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Putting people first, securing sustainable and inclusive growth, unlocking the potential of the EU’s outermost regions              {SWD(2022) 133 final} - {SWD(2022) 134 final}  
 
 
INTRODUCTION  

Five  million  EU  citizens  live  in  the  most  remote  parts  of  the  Union,  the  outermost  regions: 
Guadeloupe,  French  Guiana,  Martinique,  Mayotte,  Réunion,  and  Saint-Martin  (France);  the 
Azores and Madeira (Portugal); and the Canary Islands (Spain). These are an integral part of the 
EU,  strategically  located  in  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  the  Caribbean  basin,  South  America  and  the 
Indian Ocean. 

The outermost regions represent major assets: a young population, extensive maritime economic 
zones,  unique  biodiversity,  rich  renewable  energy  sources,  location  and  climate  suitable  for 
space sciences, astrophysics activities, as well as important space infrastructure. The growth of 
real GDP per capita in some of these regions has been outpacing EU average1. With appropriate 
development strategies, reforms and investment, the gap with the rest of the EU can therefore be 
narrowed  in  the  future.  In  addition,  these  regions  represent  outposts  of  the  European  Union 
throughout the world with potential to enhance cooperation and relations with their surrounding 
countries and territories. 

At  the  same  time,  the  outermost  regions  face  permanent  constraints  to  their  development 
recognised in Article 349 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. The Treaty 
provides  for  specific  measures  to  support  the  outermost  regions,  including  the  tailored 
application of EU law in these regions and access to EU programmes.  

While these regions are quite different from one another, they share some specificities, such as 
remoteness, insularity2, mostly small size, vulnerability to climate change, economies dependent 
on  a  few  sectors,  with  high  levels  of  unemployment  and  gross  domestic  product  (GDP), 
significantly  below  EU  and  national  averages3.  Mayotte  has  the  EU’s  lowest  GDP  per  capita 
(30%) and highest unemployment (27.8%)4. Several such regions have seen lack of convergence 
with  the  rest  of  the  EU5  over  the  past  two  decades  and  are  now  particularly  exposed  to  the 
combination  of  high  energy  prices  and  the  looming  food  crisis  resulting  from  the  Russian 
invasion of Ukraine. 

To deliver on their potential, some outermost regions  still  need to  address basic needs  that  are 
key  for  quality  of  life  and  for  meeting  the  Sustainable  Development  Goals6,  such  as  access  to 
water, education, healthcare or transport. Demographic factors will also play a key role: with the 
population expected to triple in Mayotte and double in French Guiana by 2100, such needs are 
bound  to  increase  accordingly7.  Some  regions,  such  as  the  Canary  Islands,  French  Guiana, 
Mayotte and Saint-Martin, are also under considerable pressure from irregular migration. On the 

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REGIO calculations on growth 2000-2019 of real GDP per capita, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Réunion, Mayotte and the 
Azores have growth in real GDP per capita  that outpaces the EU average of 1.2% (Cohesion report 2022, ec.europa.eu 
add the link to the report). 
The outermost regions are all islands or archipelagos except French Guiana in South America. 
Eurostat,  code:  nama_10r2gdp,  in  2020,  GDP  in  purchasing  power  parity  compared  to  the  EU  average  ranged  from 
30% of the EU average in Mayotte (EU lowest) to 76%. From 2010 to 2020, GDP compared to the EU average shrank 
in the Canary Islands from 83% to 62%; in the Azores from 75% to 67%; and in Madeira from 81% to 69%.  
Eurostat,  code:  LFST_R_LFU3RT,  In  addition,  some  of  the  highest  youth  unemployment  rates  are  in  Guadeloupe 
(41.5%), Mayotte (55.4%) and Martinique (38.3%). 
Eurostat, code: nama_10r_2gdp, comparison of GDP in 2000 and in 2020.  
Notably the goals ‘no poverty’, ‘good health and well-being’, ‘quality education’, ‘gender equality’, ‘clean water and 
sanitation’, ‘affordable and clean energy’, ‘decent work and economic growth’, ‘reduced inequality’, ‘climate action’. 
Eurostat,  code:  proj_19rp3,  Mayotte  population  to  increase  from  279 000  in  2020  to  782 000  in  2100;  Guiana 
population to increase from 289 000 in 2020 to 591 000 in 2100. 

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other hand, in the same period, the population is expected to shrink considerably in some other 
outermost regions8 due to young people’s emigration in search of opportunities.  

This  Communication  presents  the  priorities  for  EU  action  with  and  for  these  regions.  In  the 
aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis, it aims to put the people of these regions first on the road to 
sustainable recovery and growth. These have to be anchored in the green and digital transition as 
vectors  for  cohesive,  resilient  and  inclusive  societal  transformation,  economic  diversification, 
and job creation, addressing people’s needs. The Communication builds on the implementation 
of the 2017 strategic partnership with these regions9, presented in a 2020 report to the European 
Parliament and the Council10.  

The outermost regions’ specificities are taken into account in dedicated EU legislation, funds and 
programmes.  The  Commission  is  committed  to  continue  mainstreaming  these  regions’ 
specificities across EU legislation and policies to boost their development through tailored and 
place-based approaches. This Communication presents the Commission’s proposed initiatives, in 
complement  and  support  of  regional  and  national  action.  The  Commission  will,  in  particular, 
strengthen dialogue with these regions, provide tailored support, and help improve administrative 
capacity, so that can fully benefit from EU policies and reap their potential. 

While  the  EU  plays  a  key  role  in  contributing  to  unlocking  the  outermost  regions’  growth 
potential, their well-being and development  fundamentally  relies on choices and  actions by the 
regions  themselves  and  their  Member  States.  It  is  upon  them  to  shape  and  implement 
development strategies tailored to each region, setting the right priorities and using to the full the 
funding  possibilities  provided  by  the  European  instruments.  Such  strategies  need  to  anticipate 
and respond to citizen’s needs, address barriers to growth, exploit assets, diversify the economy, 
increase self-sufficiency, expand trade links, develop skills, and generate jobs.  

Therefore, the Communication, while setting out a number of initiatives to be developed at EU 
level, encourages action by these regions and their Member States, for example, to address their 
specificities  in  cross-cutting  policies  and  instruments,  including  the  Recovery  and  Resilience 
Facility  (RRF)11  and  cohesion  policy  funds12  and  in  horizontal  tools  such  as  the  Technical 
Support Instrument (TSI)13. The Communication also proposes paying special attention to these 
regions  in  relevant  actions  to  meet  EU-wide  targets  e.g.  under  the  European  Pillar  of  Social 
Rights14 and climate action.  

This  Communication  takes  into  account  input  from  a  public  consultation  held  from  July  to 
November 202115, four targeted meetings  with the outermost regions and their Member States, 
bilateral meetings  with  outermost  regions’ administrations,  the Conference of Presidents of the 
Outermost  Regions  (CPRUP)  declaration  of  November  202116,  the  joint  position  paper  of 
Member States and outermost regions of January 202217, a European Parliament resolution18, a 

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Eurostat, code: proj_19rp3, Madeira, Azores, Martinique and Guadeloupe. 
COM(2017) 623 final.  
COM(2020) 104 final. 
Recovery and Resilience Facility (ec.europa.eu); Regulation (EU) 2021/241. 
Regulation (EU) 2021/1058; Regulation (EU) 2021/1057.  
Regulation (EU) 2021/240.  
European Pillar of Social Rights (ec.europa.eu). 
Outermost regions – update of Commission’s strategic partnership with these regions (ec.europa.eu).   
CPRUP – Conférence des Présidents des Régions ultrapériphériques, CPRUP declaration of November 2021 
(ec.europa.eu); Annex to the CPRUP declaration (ec.europa.eu) 
Joint position paper of Member States and outermost regions of January 2022 (outre-mer.gouv.fr). 
European Parliament resolution (2020/2120(INI)). 

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study on the impact of the pandemic in these regions19, as well as the opinions of the Committee 
of the Regions (CoR) and the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)20. It also builds 
on the proposals stemming from the Conference on the Future of Europe. 

1. COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND CRISIS RESPONSE  

The outermost regions were hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 crisis. In the Canary Islands, 
youth  unemployment  rose  sharply  from  35.4%  in  2019  to  57.7%  in  202021.  In  Saint-Martin, 
jobseekers  had  increased  by  over  16%  by  the  end  of  2020  compared  to  the  previous  year. 
Between  2019  and  2020,  GDP  dropped  by  11%  in  the  Canary  Islands  and  by  7%  in  Madeira, 
compared to a decrease of 7% in Spain and 3% in Portugal22. The outermost regions were also 
affected  by  supply  chain  disruptions.  In  this  context,  within  the  European  Semester  2020,  the 
relevant Member States  were encouraged to pursue targeted policies in these regions to reduce 
the risk of widening disparities23.   

The  Commission  has  put  in  place  measures  to  help  cushion  the  impact  of  the  pandemic.  The 
Corona Response Investment Initiatives CRII and CRII+24 channelled cohesion policy funds to 
support the health sector, employment, teleworking and remote schooling. The State aid COVID-
19  Temporary  Framework25  enabled  measures  to  support  undertakings  (notably  small  and 
medium-sized  enterprises)  and  to  maintain  employment  in  the  outermost  regions,  some  co-
financed  by  the  Recovery  Assistance  for  Cohesion  (REACT-EU)26.  For  example,  the 
Commission authorised over 20 aid schemes to safeguard jobs and businesses in the Azores and 
Madeira.  In addition, REACT-EU provides an earmarked amount for the outermost regions of 
€146 million, in addition to a share of their Member States’ envelope. For example, almost one 
third  of  France’s  REACT-EU  envelope  was  allocated  to  its  outermost  regions  (€1.2  billion  of 
€3.9  billion)  to  support  the  green  and  digital  transition  (e.g.  Wi-Fi  in  Guadeloupe)  and 
infrastructure (e.g. new schools in French Guiana). As the centrepiece of NextGenerationEU27, 
the RRF aims to increase Member States' resilience and support the green and digital transition.  
The  relevant  national  recovery  and  resilience  plans  (RRPs)  include  investments  in  their 
outermost  regions  in  broadband,  clean  energy  and  transport,  building  renovation,  access  to  the 
labour market, education and training, digitalisation, social housing, climate change adaptation, 
and  disaster  prevention  and  resilience.  The  Portuguese  plan  specifically  earmarks  funding  for 
climate and digital transition in the Azores and Madeira.  

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Study on the impact of COVID-19 on the Outermost Regions – Final Report, October 2021. 
CoR opinion CDR 3319/2020; EESC opinion ECO/567. 
Figures refer to a comparison between Q4-2019 and Q4-2020. 
Eurostat, code: nama_10r_2gdp, Purchasing power standard (PPS) per inhabitant in % of the EU-27 average (from 
2020). 
Council  Recommendations:  2020  National  Reform  Programmes  of  France  (8429/20),  Spain  (8428/20)  Portugal 
(8441/20). 
Regulation (EU) 2020/460; Regulation (EU) 2020/558.  
Competition  Policy  –  The  COVID-19  State  Aid  Temporary  Framework  (ec.europa.eu);  Communication  from  the 
Commission - Temporary framework for State aid measures to support the economy in the current COVID-19 outbreak 
(OJ C 91I, 20.3.2020, p. 1), as amended by Commission Communications C(2020) 2215 (OJ C 112I, 4.4.2020, p. 1), 
C(2020)  3156  (OJ  C  164,  13.5.2020,  p.  3),  C(2020)  4509  (OJ  C  218,  2.7.2020,  p.  3),  C(2020)  7127  (OJ  C  340I, 
13.10.2020, p. 1), C(2021) 564 (OJ C 34, 1.2.2021, p. 6), and C(2021) 8442 (OJ C 473, 24.11.2021, p. 1). 
Regulation (EU) 2020/2221.  
Council Regulation (EU) 2020/2094.  

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The Commission encourages concerned Member States and the outermost regions to: 
  address  outermost  regions’  needs  and  improve  their  resilience  across  sectors  and  supply 
chains, notably in the implementation of the RRPs and in cohesion policy programmes; use 
REACT-EU to the fullest for the outermost regions, and speed up implementation. 

The Commission will: 
  pay  particular  attention  to  the  outermost  regions  across  various  policies  in  the  relevant 

 

country reports within the European Semester process; 
take into account supply chain resilience in the outermost regions28 through appropriate crisis 
preparedness and management within the Single Market Emergency Instrument. 

2. SUSTAINABLE AND INCLUSIVE RECOVERY AND GROWTH  

In order to  continue Europe’s recovery path,  and amid high uncertainty  caused by  the Russian 
invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, recovery and growth strategies need to be adapted to each of 
the outermost regions to deliver on the specific needs of the population  (Chapter 2.1.), support 
the most affected sectors, diversify and modernise the economy by building on assets (Chapter 
2.2.), underpinned by the green and digital transition (Chapter 2.3).  

2.1. PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST: FAIR AND EQUITABLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL  

The  outermost  regions  suffer,  on  average,  from  the  EU’s  highest  levels  of  poverty,  illiteracy, 
unemployment, young people not in employment, education, or training (NEETs), and the lowest 
levels of educational attainment. Many people in some of these regions lack clean water, decent 
housing, electricity, education, healthcare, public transport, and internet.  

Recovery  needs  to  put  people  first,  bringing  these  regions’  quality  of  life  closer  to  EU  and 
national averages. As such, recovery efforts should start by helping to alleviate poverty, address 
people’s  basic  needs  and,  in  particular,  create  opportunities  for  children  and  young  people 
through  an 
in  basic 
infrastructure,  high-quality  public  services  and  administrative  capacity,  complemented  by  EU 
policies and funds. It is important in this context to support outermost regions in implementing 
the European Pillar of Social Rights and in reaching the Porto Summit targets for 2030 on jobs, 
skills and poverty reduction29.  

including  national  policies,  and 

integrated  approach 

investment 

Addressing poverty, fostering equality and inclusion  

In 2019, the share of people at  risk of poverty  was 28.5% in  the Canary  Islands, 31.8% in  the 
Azores and 27.8% in Madeira, well above  the EU and national averages30. The poverty rate in 
Guadeloupe  (34%)  more than doubles the rate in mainland France  (14%)31.  In Réunion’s  rural 
areas, one in two people live below the poverty threshold32. Children and other vulnerable groups 

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The CoR opinion CDR 3319/2020 notes that the crisis caused a serious problem for food distribution in the outermost 
regions. 
Porto Social Summit – Porto Social Commitment (2021portugal.eu): by 2030 at least 78% of people aged 20-64 should 
be in employment; at least 60% of adults should take part in training every year; at least 15 million fewer in people at 
risk of poverty.  
Eurostat, code: ilc_peps11, averages: Portugal 17.2 and Spain 20.7. 
INSEE Analyses Guadeloupe No 43, 2020. 
INSEE Niveaux de vie et pauvreté à La Réunion en 2017 No 169, 2020. 

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such as the elderly are at greater risk of poverty. For example, in 2017, 8 out of 10 children in 
Mayotte and 6 out of 10 in French Guiana lived in a household at risk of poverty33.  

In  addition,  the  gender  employment  gap  is  much  higher  in  the  outermost  regions  than  the  EU 
average and is particularly pronounced in Mayotte, where the percentage of employed women is 
approximately  half of that of men (23.9% and  41.9% respectively34). Female unemployment is 
higher than male unemployment in all outermost regions except Réunion35. Promoting women’s 
participation  in  the  labour  market  can  increase  employment  rates,  thus  contributing  to  the 
European Pillar’s employment target of 78% by 2030. This requires adequate work-life balance 
measures as well as good quality early childhood education and care and long-term care.  
In  this  context,  actions  aiming  to  close  gender  gaps  in  employment,  care,  pay  and  decision-
making,  and  end  gender-based  violence36  are  essential,  as  identified  in  the  EU  gender  equality 
strategy37. The EU strategy on the rights of the child38 and the European Child Guarantee39 can 
also  serve  as  roadmaps  for  initiatives  aiming  to  protect  children  in  the  outermost  regions  and 
help  them  fulfil  their  rights.  EU  cohesion  policy  funds  –  including  the  European  Regional 
Development  Fund  (ERDF)  and  the  European  Social  Fund  Plus  (ESF+)  –  can  contribute  to 
achieve these objectives. For example, in 2014-2020 the ERDF provided €82 million to support 
childcare  and  social  facilities’  infrastructure  in  Madeira  and  in  the  Azores.  The  ESF+ 
investments  in  the  outermost  regions  can  help  address  poverty,  social  exclusion,  and  provide 
food and material aid to the most deprived.  

The Commission encourages concerned Member States and outermost regions to:  
  set targets for implementing the European Pillar of Social Rights in the outermost regions, 
contributing  to  reach  its  overall  targets;  ensure  that  measures  in  this  context  address  these 
regions’  specific  challenges;  fully  use  ERDF  and  ESF+,  including  the  specific  additional 
allocation for the outermost regions, to address the Pillar’s objectives, targets and actions; 
  develop  measures  to  reduce  poverty  in  these  regions  within  national  policies,  focusing  on  
vulnerable groups including the elderly; assess reforms’ impact on poverty and inequalities; 
  pay  special  attention  to  outermost  regions’  specificities  in  implementing  the  Youth  and 
Child Guarantee in these regions, in particular the European Child Guarantee action plans; 
  use  national  and  EU  funds,  in  particular  the  ESF+,  to  support  people  at  risk  of  poverty  or 
social  exclusion,  gender-balanced  labour  market  participation,  access  to  employment  by 
people  with  disabilities  promoting  their  social  inclusion,  equal  working  conditions,  and 
protection of victims of violence. 

The Commission will: 
  support the outermost regions in implementing the European Pillar of Social Rights; reflect 
their  specificities  in  initiatives  under  its  action  plan;  monitor  implementation  through  the 
Semester process; support high-level discussions on implementation in these regions; 

  assess  the  outermost  regions’  dimension  of  the  national  action  plans  implementing  the 
European Child Guarantee with the aim of ensuring that children in these regions enjoy the 

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38 
39 

INSEE Première No 1804, 2020. 
Eurostat, code: LFST_R_LFE2EMPRTN. 
Eurostat, code: LFST_R_LFU3RT, 2020. 
COM(2022) 105 final. 
COM(2020) 152 final. 
COM(2021) 142 final. 
Council Recommendation (EU) 2021/1004.  

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same opportunities as elsewhere in the EU and support the exchange of best practices; 

  monitor  these  regions’  actions  on  poverty  reduction,  integration  and  equality,  and  on 

prevention and combating violence against women40; 

  support through the ESF+ actions to reduce social exclusion; monitor the implementation of 

social inclusion strategies (e.g. access to essential services); 

  support the participation of the outermost regions in the European Social Economy Regions 

network and the Europe Social Economy Missions scheme. 

Access to adequate housing, water, internet and affordable transport and energy 

In some outermost regions, many people lack appropriate living conditions and access to basic 
services. 53% of people in French Guiana live in overcrowded accommodations (8% in mainland 
France) and 56% of residences in Mayotte are overcrowded41. Access to water is insufficient in 
some regions: in Mayotte, one third of households have no access to running water42; in French 
Guiana over 30% of the population has no access  to hot water43; in Guadeloupe people do not 
have continuous access to water due to leakages in the distribution network44. The high energy 
prices  accentuated  by  the  Russian  invasion  of  Ukraine  risk  making  electricity  unaffordable  for 
many. Lack of public transport affects access to services, education and job opportunities. 

The  cohesion  policy  funds  play  an  important  role  in  meeting  some  of  these  basic  needs.  For 
example,  in  2014-2020,  the  ERDF  and  the  Cohesion  Fund  (CF)45  supported  urban  sustainable 
transport,  water  and  energy  infrastructure  in  Madeira  and  the  Azores  with  €116  million.  The 
Portuguese and French RRPs envisage investments in social housing. Addressing people’s basic 
needs requires significant national investment in infrastructure, complemented by EU funds. This 
needs to be reflected in the programming of EU funds and in submissions for funding under EU 
programmes such as the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF)46. 

The Commission encourages concerned Member States and outermost regions to: 
  ensure  access  to  adequate  and  affordable  housing,  water,  electricity,  transport  and  the 
internet;  exploring  synergies  between  national  budgets  and  EU  funds  and  tools,  including 
cohesion policy funds; set targets at regional level to meet basic needs.  

The Commission will: 
  support  the  outermost  regions  and  their  Member  States  in  achieving  synergies  between 
national budgets and various EU funds and programmes – such as the ERDF, the ESF+, the 
CF and CEF – to address people’s basic needs.  

40 
41 
42 
43 
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45 
46 

COM(2022) 105 final.   
France Info based on INSEE data  
INSEE Analyses Mayotte No 18, 2019.  
INSEE Dossier Guyane No 10, 2020. 
In 2019, the average loss rate of water due to infrastructure problems stood at 63% in Guadeloupe. 2/3 of water 
treatment facilities are not in a satisfactory condition. Eau et assainissement - Rapport chiffres clés 
(guadeloupe.developpement-durable.gouv.fr). 
The CF benefits the Portuguese outermost regions. 
Regulation (EU) 2021/1153. 

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Access to healthcare 

While  outermost  regions’  health  systems  vary  considerably,  they  are  characterised  by  lower 
capacity  and  fewer  health  professionals  than  the  national  and  EU  averages47.  The  COVID-19 
pandemic has shown these regions’ acute  vulnerability and isolation. These regions  also  suffer 
from low life expectancy48, particularly high infant mortality rates49, tropical disease outbreaks   
and pollution50. It is important to strengthen medical capacity, to improve access to healthcare, 
health promotion and disease prevention, and to strengthen pandemic preparedness. 

Cohesion  policy  funds  and  the  RRF  can  provide  support  e.g.  for  infrastructure,  equipment, 
medical  training  and  digital  health  solutions.  The  French  RRP  for  example  will  invest  in  the 
modernisation  of  hospitals  in  the  outermost  regions.  The  EU4Health  programme51  can  support 
actions  to  reduce  inequalities  in  access  to  healthcare  and  to  strengthen  crisis  preparedness,  e-
health,  health  promotion  and  disease  prevention.  Interreg52,  a  key  instrument  for  cooperation 
between  EU  regions  and  with  neighbouring  non-EU  countries,  can  further  support  cooperation 
on  health.  The  Digital  Europe  programme  also  supports  digital  infrastructure  for  access  to 
imaging and genomic data for diagnostic and care. 

The Commission encourages concerned Member States and outermost regions to: 
  support  health  system  development  and  access  to  care,  develop  e-health  solutions  to  help 

address shortages in health professionals and health system digitalisation;  

  participate  in  actions  under  the  EU4Health  programme  in  particular  on  bridging  health 
inequalities,  crisis  preparedness  and  response,  e-health,  health  promotion  and  disease 
prevention, access to healthcare, and tropical diseases; Member States to address the specific 
needs of their outermost regions in their participation in the EU4Health programme’s actions;  
  cooperate with  the  Commission’s  Health Emergency  Preparedness  and  Response Authority 
to secure provision of critical medical supplies during a crisis; and with the European Centre 
for Disease Prevention and Control on preparedness and response to health threats; 

  use Interreg programmes for cooperation on health in regional basins. 
The Commission will: 
  reach out to outermost regions’ stakeholders to involve them in the preparatory work of the 
EU4Health  annual  work  programmes  and  in  subsequent  information  events  to  facilitate 
their participation in specific actions; consider targeted actions for the outermost regions53; 
involve the outermost regions in discussions about policy initiatives of specific interest, such 
as on vaccination, cancer, mental health;  
invite outermost regions’ non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other stakeholders to 
join the health policy stakeholders’ platform; 

 

 

47 

48 

49 

50 

51 
52 
53 

Eurostat, code: HLTH_RS_PRSRG, Mayotte has 81 medical doctors per 100 000 people and French Guiana 219, EU 
average is 391.  
Eurostat, code: DEMO_R_MLIFEXP, Life expectancy in the Azores and Madeira is 78.8 years, Portuguese average is 
81.9.ESF. 
Eurostat,  code:  DEMO_R_MINFIND,  Infant  mortality  is  almost  triple  the  EU  average  in  French  Guiana  (9.7,  EU 
average 3.4).  
Chlordecone, a pesticide prohibited in the EU since 2003, used in the Caribbean in the past, linked to increased cancer 
rates. 
Regulation (EU) 2021/522.  
Regulation (EU) 2021/1059.  
Joint position paper of Member States and outermost regions of January 2022 (outre-mer.gouv.fr). 

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 
improve the accessibility, quality and sustainability of healthcare through ESF+ and ERDF; 
  address  the  outermost  regions’  specific  vulnerabilities  in  the  work  programmes  of  the 

Commission’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority54;  

  support the implementation of actions under Europe’s Beating Cancer plan, which addresses 

unequal access to prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment and care. 

Youth opportunities: education, training, employment support and entrepreneurship 

The  outermost  regions  suffer  from  high  youth  unemployment  and  brain  drain.  Youth 
unemployment  is  above  50%  in  the  Canary  Islands  and  Mayotte,  and  around  40%  in 
Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Réunion, much higher than the EU average of 16%. These regions 
have particularly high levels of NEETs (33.6% in French Guiana and 24.6% in Réunion, triple 
and  double  of  France  and  EU  averages  respectively)  and  early  school  leavers  (27%  in  the 
Azores, triple of Portugal’s average of 8.9%)55.  

Educational  attainment  is  also  lower  in  these  regions.  Illiteracy  is  widespread  in  the  French 
outermost  regions:  depending  on  the  region,  30%  to  73%  of  17-year-olds  have  reading 
difficulties  (much  higher  than  the  national  average  of  9.6%)56.  In  this  context,  supporting 
education, training and life-long learning are priorities for EU support, in line with the results of 
the public consultation of 2021. The European Pillar of Social Rights action plan aims to lower 
the rate of NEETs from 12.6% (2019) to 9% by 2030, notably by improving their employment 
prospects. Under the Youth Guarantee, Member States have committed themselves to  ensuring 
that  young  people  receive  an  offer  of  employment,  education,  apprenticeship  or  traineeship 
within four months of leaving education or work. 

In this context, the EU supports skills development in the outermost regions through a range of 
instruments. In 2021-2027 the ESF+ will support training, the prevention of school dropout and 
career guidance,  youth employment, entrepreneurship and business creation, dedicating at least 
12.5% of programme allocations to supporting young people. The RRPs have an important role 
to  play  too  –  the  French  RRP  for  example  supports  higher  education  establishments  in 
Guadeloupe and Réunion.  In 2014-2020, almost 25 000 people from Martinique participated in 
education and training funded by the ESF. The ESF+ new additional allocation for the outermost 
regions  will  support  vocational  education  and  training,  apprenticeships,  school  to  work 
transition, youth employment and mobility. The Employment and Social Innovation strand of the 
ESF+  can  support  access  to  finance  for  social  enterprises,  and  enhanced  labour  mobility  and 
modernisation  of  employment  policies.  The  new  ALMA  (Aim,  Learn,  Master,  Achieve) 
initiative  supported  by  this  fund  is  an  active  inclusion  initiative  that  supports  disadvantaged 
young  NEETs  to  gain  professional  experience  abroad  and  experience  to  enter  into  the  labour 
market  and  to  participate  in  society.  The  initiative  aims  in  particular  to  include  young  people 
from rural, peripheral and less developed regions, providing them  with  a work-related learning 
experience  in  another  Member  State.  It  can  also  support  the  mobility  of  outermost  regions’ 
young people to neighbouring non-EU countries and to the mainland. 

54 
55 
56 

As proposed by respondents to the public consultation. 
Eurostat, code: EDAT_LFSE_16. 
Convention  Nationale  des  Associations  de  Protection  de  l'Enfant,  La  protection  de  l’enfance  en  Outre-mer.  Etat  des 
lieux et phenomenes emergents (cnape.fr). 

8 

 
 
                                                           
Various  initiatives  during  the  European  Year  of  Youth  2022  will  empower  young  people, 
including  a  new  initiative  aimed  exclusively  at  young  people  from  the  outermost  regions.  The 
Erasmus+57  programme  provides  additional  support  for  students  from  these  regions  to  study 
abroad, including cooperation with neighbouring non-EU countries. In 2014-2020, 28 500 people 
from  all  the  outermost  regions  participated  in  Erasmus+  mobility  projects58.  Through  its 
inclusion  and  diversity  strategy,  the  Commission  helps  young  people  from  these  regions 
participate  in  Erasmus+  and  in  the  European  Solidarity  Corps.  In  addition,  it  is  important  to 
promote young researchers from these regions and support their participation in Horizon Europe, 
the EU’s research and innovation programme59 and to create attractive employment opportunities 
for  young people in their regions. The Commission is also shaping an initiative to mitigate the 
challenges associated with brain drain in affected parts of the EU such as the outermost regions, 
and to identify potential solutions.  

The Commission encourages concerned Member States and outermost regions to: 
  set  up  apprenticeship,  job  retention  and  hiring  schemes  for  young  people  in  the  outermost 
regions  within  the  Youth  Guarantee  using  EU  funds,  factoring  in  the  gender  perspective; 
include the ALMA initiative into the ESF+ programmes; test digital educational models; 
identify  skills  needs  in  the  outermost  regions;  use  the  ESF+  including  the  additional 
allocation of €370 million to improve youth education, training, mobility and employment; 
  provide career guidance to young people; taking into account the gender perspective; set up 

 

one-stop shops to help secure a first job; 

  use Interreg to further develop regional learning mobility schemes in synergy with Erasmus+. 
The Commission will: 
  create a €1 million grant scheme empowering young people to shape and implement projects 
at local level, with specific attention to equality and inclusion, as part of the European Year 
of Youth 2022 with Commission-led technical assistance under the ERDF;  
take into account these regions’ specificities in the annual work programmes under the ESF+; 
support the regions in using the new ESF+ additional allocation and monitor its use; 
recognise  outermost  regions’  specificities  and  support  their  participation  in  the  Erasmus+ 
work  programmes  including  exchanges  with  non-EU  countries60,  in  the  Flagship  for 
European Universities, as well as the Centres of Vocational Excellence;  

 

 

  cooperate with the national agencies to further support the participation of outermost regions’ 

young people in Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps;  

  provide tailored information to support the participation of outermost regions’ young people 

in Interreg Volunteer Youth e.g. in neighbouring countries; 
reflect  outermost  regions’  specificities  in  the  pathways  to  the  school  success  initiative  to 
reduce early leaving from education and training; 
take  into  account  the  outermost  regions’  specificities  in  the  upcoming  initiative  to  mitigate 
the challenges associated with brain drain.  

Regulation (EU) 2021/817. 
EAC Dashboard. 
Regulation (EU) 2021/695. 
The European Parliament, the CoR and the CPRUP call for measures to increase outermost regions’ participation in 
Erasmus+ and to promote exchanges with neighbouring countries. 

 

 

57 
58 
59 
60 

9 

 
 
                                                           
2.2. BUILDING ON ASSETS, ADDRESSING CONSTRAINTS, FOCUSING ON KEY SECTORS 

The  outermost  regions  differ  considerably  from  one  another.  Each  region  has  its  own  set  of 
constraints  and  assets,  from  agriculture  or  tourism  to  the  blue  economy  or  space.  Economic 
development varies considerably from Mayotte (30% of EU GDP) and French Guiana (46%) to 
Madeira  (69%)  and  Martinique  (76%).  This  strong  differentiation  calls  for  tailored  regional 
development  strategies.  Diversifying  their  economies  by  focusing  on  their  added  value,  in  line 
with their smart specialisation strategies, is key for recovery and growth.  

The COVID-19 crisis as well as the current energy and food price increases due to the Russian 
invasion  of  Ukraine  laid  bare  the  need  for  these  remote  regions  to  develop  some  level  of 
autonomy in agriculture and energy supply and diversify sources. Environmentally friendly food 
production capacity is an opportunity to diversify and green the sector and create quality jobs. In 
the  same  vein,  using  clean  energy  installations  based  e.g.  on  solar  and  wind  energy  can  help 
overcome shortages and decarbonise their energy mix.  

Research, innovation and smart specialisation 
The outermost regions are updating their smart specialisation strategies61 to promote innovation 
in  the  most  promising  sectors,  namely  on  agri-food,  bio  economy,  sustainable  blue  economy, 
training  and  research  on  tropical  medicine,  tourism  and  creative  industries.  Boosting  research 
and  innovation  (R&I)  can  help  these  regions  capitalise  on  their  assets  and  integrate  in  the 
European  Research  Area  (ERA).  The  Commission  will  strive  to  improve  access  to  excellence 
and overcome the innovation divide62. The previous R&I framework programme Horizon 2020 
helped  the  outermost  regions  boost  their  research  capacity  through  the  FORWARD63  project. 
Horizon  Europe’s  strand  on  “widening  participation  and  spreading  excellence”  to  support 
countries  lagging  behind  in  research  was  extended  to  all  outermost  regions.  Recent  Horizon 
Europe calls for projects, e.g. on marine biodiversity or ecosystem restoration, reflect outermost 
regions’ specificities. Synergies between the ERDF and Horizon Europe, e.g. cumulative funding 
and support to projects which have been awarded the Seal of Excellence quality label, should be 
explored.  Horizon  Europe  further  promotes  collaboration  between  national  R&I  programmes, 
allowing  states  to  identify  common  priorities  for  their  outermost  regions  and  implement  joint 
calls. The Horizon Europe mission ‘Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030’ provides additional 
opportunities to foster local R&I.  

The  ERDF  will  support  innovation  through  its  mainstream  programmes,  the  Interreg 
initiative,  which  scales  up 
programmes  and 
interregional  projects  in  smart  specialisation  areas.  The  European  Maritime  Fisheries  and 
Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF)64 also boosts the uptake of research, innovation and technology in 
the blue economy, and the BlueInvest platform65 and fund provide investment readiness services.  

the  Interregional  Innovation  Investments 

The Commission encourages concerned Member States and outermost regions to: 
  participate in  opportunities under the  ‘widening’  strand of the Horizon Europe programme, 

and in the calls for projects on key themes for the outermost regions;  

61 
62 
63  
64 
65  

COM(2017) 376 final.  
COM(2020) 628 final. 
FORWARD Fostering research excellence in EU outermost regions (forward-h2020.eu) 
Regulation (EU) 2021/1139. 
BlueInvest (ec.europa.eu) 

10 

 
 
                                                           
 

 

launch  a  process  to  identify  common  priorities  in  view  of  programme-level  collaboration 
among research funders, within Horizon Europe; 
review and implement smart specialisation strategies; benefit from opportunities from smart 
specialisation interregional partnerships and value chains. 

The Commission will: 
  design  a  call  tailored  to  the  outermost  regions  in  the  2023-2024  work  programme  of  the 

Interregional Innovation Investments initiative;  

  subject  to  the  results  of  the  FORWARD  project,  propose  a  dedicated  coordination  and 
support action under the widening part of the Horizon Europe programme, as proposed 
by the outermost regions, to further activate the local research and innovation communities, 
e.g. through projects by local researchers on socio-economic topics specific to these regions; 
  support  outermost  regions  in  shaping  and  implementing  smart  specialisation  strategies  and 
provide tailored support through the Community of Practice to be launched by end 2022;  
  ensure  that  the  next  Horizon  Europe  work  programmes  include  topics  relevant  to  the 

outermost regions.   

Mobility, transport, tourism, culture 

The outermost regions rely on air and maritime connections for transport and  for the supply of 
goods. Transport connections within the regions and to mainland Europe are essential for people 
to  access  education,  training  and  jobs,  as  well  as  for  business,  trade  and  tourism.  Tourism 
contributes to a significant share of their economy – 35% of the GDP of the Canary Islands66 and 
a  quarter  of  the  GDP  of  Madeira  –  and  the  sector  was  hit  hard  by  the  COVID-19  crisis67.  In 
Madeira there were 61% fewer guests in tourism establishments, and a related 64% income drop 
in 2020 compared to 201968.  

Various EU funds can support mobility, transport and tourism. The CEF can co-finance transport 
infrastructure,  and  its  work  programme  specifically  supports  maritime  ports  to  help  improve 
outermost  regions’  connectivity.  The  Commission  proposal  to  revise  the  Trans-European 
transport network Regulation  (TEN-T)69 reflects  outermost regions’ connectivity needs,  adding 
their  ports,  urban  nodes  and  roads  to  the  TEN-T  network  maps  and  making  them  eligible  for 
CEF  support.  These  regions  can  use  the  ERDF  and  the  CF70  for  airport  infrastructure  and  to 
support the tourism sector. The Spanish RRP for example supports tourism resilience targeting 
investments in infrastructure and marketing. 

Taking  into  account  their  heavy  dependence  on  air  connections,  all  flights  from  the  outermost 
regions to the European Economic Area are exempted from the Emissions Trading System (ETS) 
until  the  end  of  202371.  In  2021,  the  Commission  proposed  to  exempt  flights  between  these 
regions and their Member State until 2030 from the ETS72. The transition pathway for tourism73 
will guide green and digital transition and resilience in the sector, with proposed actions that the 

66 
67 
68 
69 
70  
71 
72 
73 

Study on the impact of COVID-19 on the Outermost Regions – Final Report, October 2021 (ec.europa.eu). 
Regional impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on the tourist sector – Final Report, August 2021 (ec.europa.eu). 
Study on the impact of COVID-19 on the Outermost Regions – Final Report, October 2021 (ec.europa.eu). 
COM(2021) 812 final.  
The CF applies to the Portuguese outermost regions.  
Regulation (EU) 2017/2392.  
COM(2021) 552 final. 
Transition pathway for tourism (ec.europa.eu). 

11 

 
 
                                                           
outermost  regions  can  follow  through.  Finally,  the  Commission  supported  the  cultural  sector 
with  a  pilot  project  on  culture  targeting  the  outermost  regions  and  the  overseas  countries  and 
territories (OCTs)74, and other initiatives75, in complement to the Creative Europe programme. 

The Commission encourages concerned Member States and outermost regions to: 
  seize all opportunities for funding essential transport infrastructure, including for alternative 

 

fuels; 
invest  in  resilient,  digitally  fit  and  sustainable  tourism,  making  use  of  EU  funding 
opportunities  in  particular  in  the  programming  of  cohesion  policy  funds;  and  participate  in 
the implementation of the transition pathway for tourism and share tourism-related data;  

  upskill and reskill tourism workers under the pact for skills partnership for tourism. 
The Commission will: 
 
take into account the regions’ specificities in the revision of the Air Services Regulation;  
  encourage  and  facilitate  outermost  regions’  uptake  of  available  EU  tools  to  improve 

connectivity and mobility; 

  support  investments  in  the  tourism  sector;  ensure  that  EU  funds,  e.g.  the  cohesion  policy 

funds, support this sector’s recovery and sustainable development; 

  provide the tourism sector with information on funding opportunities and support their use; 
 

reflect  the  regions’  specificities  in  the  ecolabel  criteria  for  EU  tourism  accommodation; 
promote the sharing of tourism-related data and the development of a tourism data space;  
reflect outermost regions’ specificities in the Creative Europe MEDIA work programmes. 

 

Biodiversity  

The outermost regions  have an exceptionally  high  biodiversity  value. This is recognised in  the 
EU biodiversity strategy for 203076, which specifically highlights the need to protect and restore 
their ecosystems. Many sectors, including tourism, fisheries, forestry and agriculture, depend on 
this biodiversity. Healthy ecosystems also provide clean air and water and mitigate the adverse 
effects  of  climate  change.  Their  protection  and  restoration  is  therefore  essential.  The 
Commission  would  welcome  Member  States  to  include  all  their  outermost  regions  in  the  EU 
Natura 2000 Network of protected areas77 where this is not yet the case. 

Investments  under  the  ERDF  will  help  preserve  and  restore  protected  areas  as  well  as  green 
infrastructure.  The  EMFAF  supports  marine  protected  areas,  marine  living  resources  and 
ecosystems. Biodiversity investments can also be leveraged through InvestEU78. In addition, the 
Programme  for  the  Environment  and  Climate  Action  (LIFE)79  reflects  outermost  regions’ 
specificities  in  all  its  components:  biodiversity,  ecosystem  services,  circular  economy,  climate 
change  and  energy,  and  provides  special  consideration  and  bonus  points  to  applications  from 

74 

75 
76 
77 
78 

79 

The 13 OCTs are associated with the EU: Aruba (NL), Bonaire (NL), Curação (NL), French Polynesia (FR), French 
Southern and Antarctic Territories (FR), Greenland (DK), New Caledonia (FR), Saba (NL), Saint Barthélemy (FR), 
Sint Eustatius (NL), Sint Maarten (NL), Saint Pierre and Miquelon (FR), and Wallis and Futuna Islands (FR).  
For example Cultural Creative Cities Monitor and Culture Gems. 
COM(2020) 380, commitment to protect a minimum of 30% of the EU’s land area and 30% of the EU’s sea area.  
Natura 2000 (ec.europa.eu). 
InvestEU is a budgetary guarantee aimed at leveraging private and public funds to support investments on: sustainable 
infrastructure; research, innovation and digitalisation; small companies; as well as social investment and skills. 
Regulation (EU) 2021/783; LIFE work programme 2021-2024 - C(2021) 4997 final.  

12 

 
 
                                                           
these regions. LIFE also includes a grant scheme for small projects in the outermost regions co-
financed  at  95%.  The  Commission  has  also  set  up  the  ‘Green  Assist’  technical  assistance  to 
support public and private investments in natural capital, biodiversity, the circular economy and 
greening  other  investments.  Such  investments,  in  addition  to  preserving  the  environment,  also 
hold  great  potential  for  sustainable  and  eco-friendly  tourism,  as  well  as  for  economic 
diversification for example on pharmaceutical research and development.   

The Commission encourages concerned Member States and outermost regions to: 
  seize specific opportunities under the LIFE programme e.g. grants for biodiversity projects; 
the  Horizon  Europe  programme  e.g.  for  research  on  marine  biodiversity80;  and  the 
Interregional Innovation Investments initiative for cooperation on the green transition; 
implement strategies mainstreaming biodiversity across sectors; develop measures to protect 
and restore outermost regions’ ecosystems in national restoration plans; 

 

  promote green skills and jobs in the implementation of all EU programmes81; combine funds 

with financial instruments using ‘Green Assist’ technical assistance. 

The Commission will: 
 

increase support to projects on outermost regions’ important or newly discovered species82 in 
the 2025-2027 LIFE programme, subject to an assessment83; 

  adopt  a  proposal  for  a  regulation  on  nature  restoration  reflecting  the  outermost  regions’ 
specificities; monitor the implementation of nature restoration measures for these regions;  
  continue  supporting  ecosystem  assessments  in  the  outermost  regions,  e.g.  through  the 
MOVE-ON84 project; make them available to the Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity85. 

Blue economy  

The  outermost  regions  have  unique  blue  economy  potential  thanks  to  their  large  exclusive 
economic zones (EEZ), accounting for over half of the EU’s EEZ, and rich marine biodiversity. 
Fisheries and maritime transport remain an important part of their economies. It is important that 
the outermost regions develop their blue economy strategies in a sustainable way, including by 
protecting their marine biodiversity. 

The  EMFAF  and  the  cohesion  policy  funds  support  the  outermost  regions’  maritime  sector. 
Under the EMFAF these regions benefit from an earmarked budget of €315 million for structural 
investments and the compensation of additional costs, and also from specific State aid provisions 
for fisheries and aquaculture. The Commission proposed to continue special conditions for these 
regions in the ongoing review of these rules86. Investing in innovative renewable marine energy, 
blue  biotechnology,  aquaculture,  research,  protection  and  sustainable  exploration  of  deep-sea 
resources and training can  create  new business  models  and generate jobs. The Horizon Europe 
programme also provides opportunities to coordinate measures to achieve a climate-neutral blue 

80 
81 

82  
83 
84  
85 
86 

The EESC opinion ECO/567 calls for efforts in R&I related to the ocean. 
In line with the  EU Biodiversity Strategy  for 2030, biodiversity  action requires at least EUR 20 billion per year, EU 
funds and programmes are to mainstream biodiversity up to 7.5% of annual spending in 2024 and 10% in 2026-2027.  
This refers to species not yet assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature 
CPRUP declaration of November 2021. 
MOVE-ON project (moveon-project.eu)  
As proposed in European Parliament resolution (2020/2120(INI)). 
Public consultation on revised State aid rules for the fishery and aquaculture sector (ec.europa.eu). 

13 

 
 
                                                           
economy and reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions in the maritime sector through its 
mission ‘Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030’. 

The Commission encourages concerned Member States and outermost regions to: 
 

implement blue economy strategies, seizing synergies in EU support, including the EMFAF 
for structural investments, the ERDF and the CEF for infrastructure, the  ESF+ for training, 
LIFE and EMFAF for climate and biodiversity actions, and the Horizon Europe programme 
for innovation;  

  strengthen efforts in the fight against illegal fishing; 
  participate  in  sustainable  blue  economy  value  chains  (e.g.  blue  tourism,  marine  renewable 

energy, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, pollution prevention, risk management); 

  conduct  studies  on  data  collection  and  fish  stocks  with  EMFAF  support,  in  line  with  the 
recommendations  of  the  2022  study  on  data  collection  and  scientific  advice  in  the  EU 
outermost regions87; improve implementation of reporting obligations; 

  participate in the mission ‘Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030’. 

The Commission will: 
 

launch a call for proposals on blue economy strategies in the outermost regions in line with 
the  EMFAF  2022-2023  work  programme;  support  outermost  regions’  blue  economy  under 
the EMFAF, as proposed by the European Parliament, the regions and their Member States; 
  engage  with  the  concerned  Member  States  in  order  to  address  the  issue  of  collection  of 
fisheries  related  data88  in  the  outermost  regions,  as  laid  out  in  relevant  EU  legislation89, 
taking  into  account  the  specificities  of  those  regions  and  based  on  the  results  of  the  2022 
study on data collection and scientific advice in the EU outermost regions90;  

  continue  supporting  sustainable  fisheries  partnership  agreements  beneficial  for  outermost 

regions’ economy, in particular with outermost regions’ neighbouring countries;  

  organise  knowledge  exchanges  on  maritime  spatial  planning  and  renewable  energy  notably 
via the 2021-2024 project ‘Advancing Maritime Spatial Planning in Outermost Regions’. 

Agriculture and rural development 

Agriculture remains a key  sector in most outermost regions,  contributing to  a sizeable share of 
value added and employment. Innovation can help improve food quality and resource efficiency 
and  reduce  the  footprint  of  food  production.  In  line  with  the  farm  to  fork  strategy,  increasing 
organic  farming  in  these  regions  can  have  both  environmental  and  economic  benefits. 
Developing and future-proofing agriculture, which uses fewer chemical pesticides and antibiotics 
and more agro-ecological approaches, is key to improving competitiveness. 

The  EU  will  continue  to  strongly  support  outermost  regions’  agriculture.  The  Programme  of 
Options Specifically Relating to Remoteness and Insularity (POSEI)91, supports local production 

87 

88 

89 

90 
91 

Overview of the state of data collection and scientific advice in the EU ORs, with case study on a roadmap towards 
regular stock assessment in French Guiana - Publications Office of the EU (ec.europa.eu). 
Communication on guidelines for the analysis of the balance between fishing capacity and fishing opportunities, COM   
(2014)545. 
Guidelines for the examination of State aid to the fishery and aquaculture sector (OJ C 217, 2.7.2015, p. 1), as amended 
by the Communication amending the Guidelines and Commission Regulation (OJ C 422, 22.11.2018, p. 1). 
Overview of the state of data collection and scientific advice in the EU ORs (ec.europa.eu). 
Programme of Options Specifically Relating to Remoteness and Insularity; Regulation (EU) No 228/2013. 

14 

 
 
 
                                                           
through  direct  payments  to  farmers,  market  measures  and  the  supply  of  essential  agriculture 
products.  Thanks  to  close  inter-institutional  cooperation,  the  POSEI  budget  in  2021-2027  will 
maintain  its  financial  capacity.  In  addition,  the  European  Agricultural  Fund  for  Rural 
Development provides specific conditions for these regions including that Member States must 
adapt  their  common  agricultural  policy  (CAP)  strategic  plans  to  the  specificities  of  their 
outermost regions92, as also highlighted in Commission recommendations93, while addressing the 
goal of an increased economic, environmental and social sustainability.  
Furthermore,  the  State  aid  instruments  for  aid  in  agriculture,  forestry  and  rural  areas94  allow 
higher  maximum  aid  intensity  rates  for  investments  in  these  regions  and  operating  aid.  The 
Commission proposed to continue providing special conditions for the outermost regions in the 
on-going  review  of  these  instruments95.  In  order  to  support  the  outermost  regions’  agricultural 
and  rural  development,  the  Commission  will  work  in  partnership  with  the  Members  States  to 
adapt  and  modernise  the  existing  actions  financed  by  POSEI,  in  view  of  a  more  balanced 
development  between  the  various  agricultural  sectors  (traditional  export  sectors,  and  livestock 
and  crop  diversification  sectors).  In  the  context  of  the  Russian  invasion  of  Ukraine,  the 
Commission adopted measures to support the most affected agricultural producers96. Given the 
related rise of food prices and risk of supply disruptions, and in order to guarantee food security, 
these  measures  included  advances  of  payments  to  farmers,  temporary  rules  allowing  aid  to 
companies affected by the crisis also in the agri-food sector97 and flexibilities to import feed.  

The Commission encourages concerned Member States and outermost regions to: 
  pay  special  attention to  the outermost regions’  agricultural  and rural  development  sector in 
fostering a green, digital and fair transition, building on assets and addressing constraints; 
  promote diversification, modernisation in agriculture and an increased food autonomy, invest 

in resource-efficient technologies; and upskill/reskill agricultural workers. 

The Commission will: 
  ensure that Member States’ CAP strategic plans comply with CAP Regulation requirements 
and address outermost regions’ specificities; and that EU priorities with regard to fostering a 
green, digital and fair transition are reflected in the plans; 

  work  with  the  relevant  Member  States  to  improve  their  POSEI  programming  and  annual 
implementation  reports  and  to  ensure  that  POSEI-financed  actions  are  coherent  with  CAP 
strategic plans, e.g. compliance with environmental and social objectives and diversification;  
follow-up  the  implementation  of  the  recommendations  of  the  2021  POSEI  report98,  in 
particular  the  need  for  fair  distribution  of  support,  promotion  of  sustainable  farming 
practices, product quality, product differentiation and the exchange of good practices; 

 

  under the long-term vision for rural areas, analyse outermost regions’ agriculture within the 
EU  Rural  Observatory’s  scope  and  in  the  rural  revitalisation  platform;  share  knowledge 

92 
93 
94 

95 
96 
97 
98 

Recital 99 of Regulation (EU) 2021/2115.  
COM(2020) 846 final; SWD(2020) 379; SWD(2020) 374; SWD(2020) 398. 
European Union Guidelines for State aid in the agricultural and forestry sectors and in rural areas 2014 to 2020 (OJ C 
201, 1.7.2014, p. 1) as prolonged until 31 December 2022 (OJ C 424, 8.12.2020, p. 30); Commission Regulation (EU) 
No 702/2014.  
Public consultation on revised State aid rules for the agriculture and forestry sectors and in rural areas (ec.europa.eu). 
COM(2022) 133 final.  
C(2022) 1890. 
COM(2021) 765 final 

15 

 
 
 
                                                           
within the EU CAP network and explore cooperation opportunities; 

  as  part  of  LEADER,  further  promote  local  development  and  support  the  deployment  of 
innovation  and  technology  in  agriculture,  namely  through  the  European  Innovation 
Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability; 

  promote the transition towards an increased level of food autonomy in the outermost regions 
through both CAP instruments, while ensuring high-quality food with sustainable farming.  

2.3. DOING IT RIGHT: FOSTERING THE GREEN AND DIGITAL TRANSITION   

2.3.1. GREEN TRANSITION: TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY  

The  green  transition  aims  to  achieve  the  sustainable,  environmentally  friendly  and  climate-
neutral  transformation  of  society  and  the  economy  across  all  policies.  The  Commission  has 
committed  itself,  in  the  Green  Deal  Communication99,  to  paying  particular  attention  to  the 
outermost  regions,  taking  into  account  their  vulnerability  to  natural  disasters  and  their  unique 
biodiversity  and  rich  renewable  energy  sources.  These  regions  are  well  placed  to  become  role 
models  for  development,  respecting  the  circular  economy  and  climate  neutrality,  as  well  as 
investing and creating jobs in green and blue solutions in sectors such as tourism, agriculture and 
fisheries. Respondents to the public consultation ranked climate, biodiversity and environment in 
the top five themes for EU action in these regions.  

Climate action  

The  EU  is  committed  to  achieving  the  Paris  Agreement  goals,  including  the  adaptation  goals 
aimed  at  strengthening  resilience.  The  outermost  regions  are  particularly  exposed  to  climate 
change  impacts,  including  extreme  weather  events,  and  need  tailored  climate  adaptation 
measures.  In  this  context,  the  2021  strategy  on  adaptation  to  climate  provides  for  exchanges 
between  these  regions  and  their  neighbours  on  climate  change  adaptation  solutions.  The 
Commission’s  proposal  for  a  Social  Climate  Fund100  envisages  that  Member  States’  social 
climate  plans  analyse  the  effects  of  ETS  on  vulnerable  groups  taking  into  account  remote 
regions’ specificities. In addition, it can support affordable low-emission transport in insular and 
remote areas. 

The Commission encourages concerned Member States and outermost regions to: 
 

foster research on climate change, e.g. develop innovative tools to anticipate climate events, 
and  to  increase  knowledge  on  climate  change  impact,  seizing  opportunities  under  cohesion 
policy funds and other EU programmes, e.g. LIFE and the Horizon Europe programme; 
  strengthen cooperation with neighbouring countries on climate change, risk prevention and 

 

resilience, including through the Interreg programmes; 
take  into  account  the  outermost  regions’  specificities  in  the  national  plans  under  the  EU 
Social Climate Fund; and apply for funding under the Innovation Fund; 

  participate in the EU Mission ‘Adaptation to Climate Change’ and its opportunities. 

99 
100 

COM(2019) 640 final.  
COM(2021) 568 final.  

16 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
The Commission will: 
 

foster  cooperation  and  research  on  common  challenges  under  the  Horizon  Europe 
programme,  and  support  climate  action  under  the  LIFE  programme;  foster  exchanges  on 
climate action between outermost regions and their neighbours under the ERDF; 

  support action on risk prevention and resilience as regards natural disasters; foster knowledge 

exchange between outermost regions and their neighbours; 

  help identify adapted solutions for ‘mobility’ poverty linked to increases in transport prices;  
  continue  to  give  due  consideration  to  the  outermost  regions  when  implementing  the  EU 

Solidarity Fund101. 

Renewable energy and energy efficiency  

With  their  rich  sources  of  renewable  energy  –  solar,  wind,  marine  and  geothermal  –  the 
outermost regions can be frontrunners in the clean energy transition helping to achieve the EU’s 
target of climate neutrality by 2050. However, these regions still rely on fossil fuels’ imports to 
cover  most  of  their  energy  needs,  entailing  high  emissions  and  costs.  Given  the  high  energy 
prices exacerbated by the current geopolitical tensions, the risk of energy poverty is increasing. 
The Energy Efficiency Directive102 invites Member States to alleviate energy poverty and take 
into account regional temperature variations when setting targets for energy savings. 
Several  outermost  regions  (e.g.  the  Canary  Islands,  Azores,  Madeira  and  Réunion)  are 
implementing innovative solutions to produce renewable energy, notably geothermal, which in 
some outermost regions already meets a large part of electricity demand. Investing in producing 
and storing renewable energy can increase outermost regions’ energy autonomy and help meet 
the EU’s 2050 climate-neutrality target and the 2030 emission reduction and renewable energy 
increase  targets.  The  EU  regulatory  framework  stimulates  investments  in  clean  energy  and  in 
small,  decentralised  renewable  energy  systems  including  in  the  heating  and  cooling  sector103. 
The  2020  offshore  renewable  energy  strategy104  highlights  the  outermost  regions’  potential  as 
pioneers  in  decarbonisation.  The  cohesion  policy  funds,  the  Clean  Energy  for  EU  islands 
initiative, the facility ‘New Energy Solutions Optimized for Islands (NESOI)’ and the RRF can 
support energy transition in the outermost regions. The LIFE programme can finance technology 
roll-out, new business models, and related skills.  
In  the  context  of  the  Russian  invasion  of  Ukraine,  the  Commission  proposed  the  REPowerEU 
plan  to  address  energy  dependency105  and  a  State  aid  Temporary  Crisis  framework  that  allows 
support to cover additional costs due to gas and electricity price increases106.  

The Commission encourages concerned Member States and outermost regions to: 
  ensure that national/regional legislation encourages renewable energy and energy efficiency; 

reflect the outermost regions’ situation in national energy and climate plans; 

  provide targeted support to households affected by energy poverty; 

101 
102 
103 
104 
105 
106 

CPRUP declaration of November 2021, Common position Member States and outermost regions of January 2022. 
Directive 2012/27/EU.  
COM(2021) 557 final. 
COM(2021) 741 final. 
COM(2022) 108 final.  
C(2022) 1890 final. 

17 

 
 
 
                                                           
 

 

invest in renewable energy and energy efficiency exploring natural assets; support outermost 
regions  in  applying  small-scale  renewable  energy  solutions  to  remote  areas  to  overcome 
energy infrastructure shortages;  
integrate offshore renewable energy development in maritime spatial plans, as envisaged in 
the offshore renewable energy strategy; 

  ensure outermost regions are taken into account in REPowerEU support measures.   
The Commission will: 
 
foster research on smart grids, energy storage, marine energy, renewable energies; 
 
take into account outermost regions’ specificities in the EU Solar Energy Strategy; 
 
foster the exchange of experience on innovative energy management, e.g. within Interreg; 
  provide  a  study  on  clean  energy  transition  in  EU  islands,  including  outermost  regions; 
supporting their energy transition via the Clean Energy for EU Islands Initiative and NESOI. 

Circular economy 

Due  to  their  dependence  on  resource  imports,  high  waste  generation  fuelled  by  tourism  and 
waste exports, the outermost regions can greatly benefit from circular economy solutions. It is in 
this  context  that  the  2020  circular  economy  action  plan107  promotes  solutions  tailored  to  these 
regions.  Most  outermost  regions  have  designed  circular  economy  action  plans  that  encompass 
sustainable production and consumption and waste management. EU funds can help: the ERDF 
and the ESF+ can support infrastructure and training; the LIFE programme can finance various 
projects, e.g. on waste management, and the EMFAF can support the collection and treatment of 
marine  litter.  In  2014-2020  the  ERDF  supported  projects,  e.g.  in  the  Azores  to  recover  waste 
from landfills, increasing the reuse of natural resources and decontaminating soil.  

The Commission encourages concerned Member States and outermost regions to: 
  step  up  efforts  on  waste  management,  in  particular  on  improving  circularity  in  bio-waste 
management  and  treatment,  and  in  reducing  waste  through  reuse  or  repair;  blend  and 
combine funds with financial instruments, use the ‘Green Assist’ instrument; 

  design and implement circular economy action plans and use TAIEX-REGIO PEER 2 PEER 

to facilitate joint learning with other regional authorities. 

The Commission will: 
 

take  into  account  outermost  regions’  specificities  when  proposing  to  harmonise  separate 
waste collection systems as envisaged in the circular economy action plan; 

  support  resource  efficiency  and  circularity  in  these  regions;  foster  the  exchange  of  good 

practices through the Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform. 

107 

COM(2020) 98 final.  

18 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
2.3.2. FOSTERING THE DIGITAL TRANSITION: ENABLING NEW OPPORTUNITIES  

Digitalisation  can  bring  together  people,  services  and  businesses  irrespective  of  their  location, 
and,  as  such,  help  outermost  regions’  overcome  remoteness  constrains.  The  2030  Digital 
Compass108 vision for digital transformation can guide transition, including digital infrastructure 
roll-out and digital skills development.  

Several  EU  funds  can  support  investment  in  digital  infrastructure.  The  Digital  Europe 
programme109 strengthens EU critical digital capacities and seeks to help bridge the digital divide 
between  Europe  and  the  outermost  regions.  The  European  Digital  Innovation  Hubs  work 
programme  for  2021-2023110  encourages  Member  States  to  address  their  outermost  regions’ 
digital  needs.  In  addition,  the  CEF  programme  can  support  sustainable  infrastructure  and 
network integration: its 2021-2025 digital work programme111 can support submarine cables and 
satellite  connectivity.  The  ERDF  will  further  contribute  to  an  inclusive  digital  society  in  these 
regions. As regards digital skills, with the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan, the EU 
aims  to  equip  at  least  80%  of  the  EU’s  adults  with  such  basic  skills.  The  Communication  on 
Shaping  Europe’s  digital  future112  and  the  Digital  Education  action  plan  aim  to  support  digital 
education and skills. The ERDF supports skills development through educational infrastructure. 

Moreover,  the  proposal  for  an  EU  secure  connectivity  programme113  establishes  a  space-based 
connectivity  system  to  ensure  worldwide  access  to  secure  satellite  communication  services  for 
governmental  users,  connecting  administrations.  Moreover,  EU  Space  flagships  Copernicus, 
Galileo  and  EGNOS114  provide  very  high  performance  data  and  services  that  can  enable  the 
digital transition of whole sectors of the outermost regions’ economies, including agriculture and 
transport. EU Space data are also  useful for civil protection services and  for monitoring of the 
environment.  The  outermost  regions  can  benefit  from  EU  and  national  tools  such  as  the 
Structural and Investment Funds and the National Recovery and Resilience plans, as well as the 
Horizon Europe programme, InvestEU, or the Cassini Space Entrepreneurship Initiative.  

The Commission encourages concerned Member States and outermost regions to: 
 

take into account the needs of the outermost regions when designating candidate entities for 
the  initial  European  Digital  Innovation  Hubs  network,  in  line  with  the  Digital  Europe 
programme; 

  seize opportunities to fund digital infrastructure and connectivity under the CEF programme 
(e.g. submarine cables and satellite connections), and under the Digital Europe programme; 
  support  digital  skills  in  education  and  training,  using  all  EU  funding  opportunities115, 

including by promoting skills partnerships under the pact for skills. 

The Commission will: 
  analyse  the  uptake  of  digital  solutions  in  the  outermost  regions  and  help  them  seize  

108 
109 
110 
111  
112 
113 
114  

115 

COM(2021) 118 final. 
Regulation (EU) 2021/694. 
C(2021) 7911 final. 
C(2021) 9463 final. 
COM(2020) 67 final.  
COM(2022) 57 final. 
The services provided by EGNOS should cover the territories geographically located in Europe, including the Azores, 
the  Canary  Islands  and  Madeira,  by  the  end  of  2026  (Regulation  (EU)  2021/696  establishing  the  Union  Space 
Programme and the European Union Agency for the Space Programme). 
The EESC opinion ECO/567 calls for measures to ensure digital access in the outermost regions.  

19 

 
 
                                                           
opportunities  and  support  under  EU  programmes  as  proposed  by  the  outermost  regions; 
explore possibilities to support satellite networks to ensure connectivity in all areas;  

  propose  additional  hubs  or  entities  to  cover  the  needs  of  the  outermost  regions,  in 
cooperation with the Member States, if the initial Digital Innovation Hubs network does not 
cover their digital needs; 
foster the exchange of information and good practices; continue facilitating the participation 
of the outermost regions in the Broadband Competence Offices Network; 

 

  promote basic digital literacy through EU funds and programmes such as Erasmus+ and the 

ESF+, as well as advanced digital skills through the Digital Europe programme; 

  promote  the  uptake  of  EU  Space  data,  services  and  applications  for  enabling  the 

digitalisation. of the economies of the outermost regions.  

3. COOPERATION WITH OTHER EUROPEAN REGIONS, NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES AND BEYOND 

Interreg  and  cooperation  with  Global  Europe  and  Overseas  Countries  and  Territories’ 
financing instruments 

Given the outermost regions’ location, they are a unique asset for EU’s external relations and for 
the projection of our interests and values. They make the EU a truly global player. In line with 
the  EU’s  Global  Gateway  strategy,  cooperation  with  neighbouring  countries  and  territories  is 
also essential for these regions’ economic development and regional integration. Respondents to 
the public consultation selected such cooperation as one of the top five priorities. The EU/Africa-
Caribbean-Pacific  (ACP)  Partnership  Agreement  initiated  in  2021  encourages  ACP  states’ 
cooperation with the OCTs and the outermost regions in e.g. trade, energy, digitalisation, climate 
change, environment and tourism.  

All  outermost  regions  participate  in  Interreg  European  Territorial  Cooperation  programmes, 
which  support  cooperation  between  the  outermost  regions  and  neighbouring  countries  or 
territories.  However,  cooperation  remains  limited  due  to  regulatory,  administrative,  budgetary 
and  political  issues116.  The  Commission  has  simplified  procedures  to  facilitate  cooperation:  in 
2021-2027, programmes jointly funded by the ERDF (outermost regions), Global Europe (third 
countries)  or  the  Decision  on  the  Overseas  Association  (OCTs)  follow  a  single  set  of  rules.  In 
addition to supporting cooperation with other EU regions, including through the Interreg Europe 
programme, the EU has allocated €281 million under the ERDF to support cooperation between 
the outermost regions and their neighbours, and €15 million to support cooperation between the 
OCTs  and  other  partners,  facilitating  joint  projects  such  as  university  courses,  cooperation 
between  hospitals,  or  financial  facilities.  The  Horizon  Europe  programme  or  LIFE  can  also 
support cooperation.  

The Commission encourages concerned Member States and outermost regions to: 
  analyse  opportunities  and  overcome  obstacles  to  regional  cooperation  as  part  of  the  new 

Interreg specific objective on better governance within their Interreg programmes; 
  use the ERDF for cooperation with other Member States, non-EU countries or OCTs117.  

116 

117 

Some  partner  countries  of  the  Interreg  Indian  Ocean  programme  do  not  recognise  Mayotte  as  a  French  outermost 
region. 
Under Article 63(4) of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060. 

20 

 
 
                                                           
The Commission will: 
 

facilitate the implementation of projects jointly financed by  the ERDF,  Global Europe, and 
the Decision on the Overseas Association, in coordination with beneficiaries; 

  map  regional  cooperation  opportunities  and  challenges  per  basin,  identify  key  areas  for 
cooperation; develop opportunities and support collaboration; foster exchanges per basin;  
factor  in  outermost  regions’  role  and  specificities  when  revising  geographical  strategies; 
include these regions in consultation mechanisms, as proposed by the outermost regions. 

 

Trade 

The  outermost  regions’  proximity  to  non-EU  countries  offers  opportunities  for  trade  and 
cooperation.  However,  these  regions  face  competition  from  surrounding  countries,  which 
produce similar goods at lower cost with lower health, safety, and environmental standards.  

The Commission will continue to take into account the outermost regions’ sensitive products in 
negotiating free trade agreements (FTA), assessing their effect and taking measures in the event 
of potential negative impacts, including safeguard clauses. The sustainability impact assessments 
which  supported  negotiations  on  the  EU-Indonesia  free  trade  agreement  and  on  the  Global 
Agreement with Mexico already analyse outermost regions’ interests118. The 2019 EU-Mercosur 
Agreement  includes  provisions  to  prevent  disruptions  to  these  regions’  markets  caused  by 
imports  from  Mercosur119.  In  parallel,  the  outermost  regions  are  encouraged  to  seize  the 
opportunities of the  FTAs, in  particular with  countries in  their  geographical  region, in  view of 
their integration in global and regional value chains120. In addition, the Commission proposed to 
prolong and improve EU legislation exclusively providing specific taxation and customs rules for 
outermost regions, which was adopted by the Council121.  

The Commission encourages concerned Member States to: 
 
 

involve the outermost regions when shaping their position on trade agreements; 
identify  trade  opportunities  for  the  outermost  regions  and  support  their  trade  capacity  and 
integration in regional and global value chains. 

The Commission will: 
  continue  taking  into  account  outermost  regions’  concerns  in  its  sustainability  impact 

assessments, in the context of negotiations on trade agreements; 
further enhance transparency in negotiations and implementation of free trade agreements in 
the  outermost  regions  by  ensuring  participation  of  their  stakeholders  in  civil  society 
dialogues, consultations and advisory groups, as proposed by the outermost regions122; 
inform and raise awareness in the outermost regions about the potential of the existing trade 
agreement between the EU and third countries; 

Sustainability impact assessment (SIA) in support of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations between the European 
Union and the Republic of Indonesia: Final Report (ec.europa.eu);  Sustainability Impact Assessment (SIA) in support 
of the negotiations for the modernisation of the trade part of the Global Agreement with Mexico (ec.europa.eu) 
EU-Mercosur trade agreement: the agreement in principle (ec.europa.eu) 
See also Communication on the Trade Policy Review (ec.europa.eu)  
Council  Decisions  (EU)  2020/1790,  (EU)  2020/1791,  (EU)  2020/1792,  (EU)  2021/991;  Council  Regulation  (EU) 
2021/2048. 
CPRUP declaration of November 2021, and also as requested by respondents to the public consultation. 

 

 

118 

119 
120 
121 

122 

21 

 
 
                                                           
  promote ‘Access  to Markets’, the new  EU trade  helpdesk in  the outermost  regions, to  help 

them take advantage of trade agreements and export to non-EU markets. 

Migration 

Some  outermost  regions  experience  strong  migratory  pressure  from  neighbouring  countries,  in 
particular  the  Canary  Islands,  French  Guiana,  Mayotte  and  Saint-Martin.  In  2019  alone,  over 
27 000 people attempted to enter Mayotte (equivalent to 10% of its population)123, and in 2021, 
over 23 000 people arrived in the Canary Islands124. It is estimated that 12% of French Guiana’s 
population are irregular migrants. There is a need for appropriate and tailored actions to manage 
the specific migration challenges in the outermost regions as regards provision of e.g. reception 
conditions  and  procedures  for  asylum  seekers,  border  management  and  control,  integration  of 
migrants. A specific focus is needed on unaccompanied minors.  

EU funding can support and complement regional and national funding in these areas. According 
to  the  EU  Regulations  establishing  the  Asylum,  Migration  and  Integration  Fund  (AMIF),  the 
Instrument  for  Financial  Support  for  Border  Management  and  Visa  Policy  (BMVI),  and  the 
Internal  Security  Fund  (ISF),  the  Member  States  concerned  should  ensure  that  their  national 
strategies  and  programmes  under  these  funds  address  the  specific  challenges  that  outermost 
regions face in managing migration125. In addition, the proposed pact on migration and asylum126 
aims to prevent irregular migration and ensure asylum for those in need.   

The Commission encourages concerned Member States and outermost regions to: 
  ensure that national strategies and programmes under  the EU funds AMIF, BMVI, and ISF 
address  outermost  regions  specific  challenges  in  managing  migration  as  envisaged  in  the 
regulations  creating  these  funds;  ensure  cooperation  in  implementing  EU,  national  and 
regional  strategies  and  programmes  related  to  migration,  in  the  outermost  regions;  provide 
adequate conditions for unaccompanied minors; 

  achieve synergies in using EU funds to address the challenges faced by the outermost regions 

in managing migration and dedicate appropriate funding;  
involve regional authorities and stakeholders in shaping and implementing such programmes. 

 
The Commission will: 

  monitor  the  application  of  the  partnership  approach  in  national  programming  and 
implementation under shared management, to ensure that national programmes under AMIF, 
BMVI and ISF address the specific challenges of migration in the outermost regions and the 
emerging threats with which the outermost regions are confronted; 

  support  awareness  raising  towards  the  outermost  regions  and  encourage  local  and  regional 
authorities to use the potential offered by EU funds to address local gaps and needs; promote 
synergies between various EU funds to address migration and security challenges; 

123 
124 
125 

126 

Press Statement from the French Ministry of Home Affairs and Minister of Overseas Territories on 11 February 2021. 
Source: Euromed Rights and UNHCR. 
Regulation (EU) 2021/1147, Recital 64; Regulation (EU) 2021/1148, Recital 63; Regulation (EU) 2021/1149, Recital 
58:  all  state  that  the  relevant  Member  States  should  ensure  that  their  national  programmes  address  the  specific 
challenges the outermost regions face in managing migration.  
COM(2020) 609 final. 

22 

 
 
                                                           
  monitor  the  migration  situation  in  outermost  regions  particularly  exposed  to  migration 

influxes and support Member States in shaping tailored solutions as appropriate; 

  use the Thematic Facilities Work Programmes under AMIF, BMVI and ISF to help address 
these regions’ migration challenges including support measures for unaccompanied minors. 

4. STRENGTHENED PARTNERSHIP, DIALOGUE AND SUPPORT   

Mainstreaming outermost regions’ specificities remains a Commission priority to ensure that EU 
policies, legislation, funds and programmes are adapted to these regions as laid out in Article 349 
TFEU.  The  Commission  has  systematically  taken  into  account  these  regions’  concerns  in  its 
policy-making. In 2021 alone, the Commission reflected these regions’ specificities in almost 30 
legislative  proposals,  policy  initiatives  and  work  programmes,  for  example  under  Horizon 
Europe,  the  CEF,  LIFE,  the  EMFAF,  Erasmus+,  and  Digital  Europe.  The  Better  Regulation 
Guidelines127  further  strengthen  territorial  impact  assessments  to  assess  legislative  proposals’ 
impact on specific regions including the outermost regions.  

The outermost regions can benefit from many new opportunities for support under EU policies to 
help  them  shape,  implement  and  fund  their  tailored  regional  development  strategies.  The 
Commission  is  committed  to  helping  these  regions  undertake  the  necessary  reforms  and 
investments,  seize  opportunities  and  synergies  in  EU  programmes,  improve  administrative 
capacity,  and  is  rolling  out  an  advisory  tool  for  this  purpose.  The  Commission  holds  regular 
high-level  meetings  and  working  group  sessions  with  the  outermost  regions  and  their  Member 
States  and  is  committed  to  strengthening  dialogue  to  better  understand  the  concerns  of  people 
living in these regions and to raise awareness on EU policies. It promoted citizens’ dialogues and 
Europe Direct Centres in these regions.  

The Commission encourages concerned Member States and outermost regions to: 

  develop together regional development plans per outermost region that address each regions’ needs; 
identify  bottlenecks  and  areas  to  reform;  develop  and  invest  in  specific  assets  and  comparative 
advantages; set priorities; and allocate funding accordingly; 

 

seize  all  the  specific  opportunities  for  the  outermost  regions  under  EU  policy  initiatives  and 
legislation, programmes and funds; 

  develop  overall  administrative  capacity,  participate  in  the  Commission’s  administrative 
capacity building initiatives128; use technical assistance to prepare large projects; use existing 
EU tools e.g. Jaspers129; build capacity to participate in competitive programmes; 

  make  use  of  the  TSI  to  request  support  on  key  reforms,  in  particular  in  the  areas  of  this 
Communication; multi-region applications are particularly welcome, enabling economies of 
scale and sharing of best practices;  

  disseminate at local level information provided by the Commission on funding opportunities; 
  extend data gathering in the outermost regions to bridge existing gaps in regional statistics. 

127 
128 

129 

COM(2021) 219 final.  
For example, a pilot action with the OECD on frontloading administrative capacity building, TAIEX-REGIO PEER 2 
PEER,  REGIO  Communities  of  practitioners,  the  Competency  Framework,  integrity  pacts,  training  programme  for 
experts. 
Joint assistance to support projects in European regions (JASPERS) (ec.europa.eu). 

23 

 
 
 
                                                           
The Commission will: 

 

roll out advisory tools to help individual outermost regions, on demand, shape regional development 
plans, reforms and investment agendas; enable synergies between opportunities under EU funds and 
programmes; 

  encourage requests from outermost regions for TSI support for tailored technical expertise to design 
and  implement  reforms  across  a  wide  range  of  policy  areas;  reach  out  to  outermost  regions  in  the 
yearly TSI country roll-outs, with the assistance of the coordinating authorities; 

  build a portal on opportunities for the outermost regions to benefit from EU funds, programmes and 
policy  initiatives; launch  a  series of information sessions  for  these  regions  on  EU  programmes  and 
flagship initiatives, reaching out to small and medium-sized enterprises, NGOs and the public; 

  analyse and follow up on proposals by the outermost regions and their Member States (2021 CPRUP 

declaration, 2022 joint position paper) in the outermost regions’ working group;  

  mainstream  outermost  regions’  specificities  in  initiatives,  legislative  proposals  and  programmes 
through tailored and place-based approaches, with territorial impact assessments where appropriate;  

  continue taking  into  account  these regions’  specificities  in the  revision  of  State aid regulations  and 
guidelines  across  sectors,  based  on  the  existing  provisions  for  these  regions  in  EU  State  aid 
legislation; 

 

support  administrative  capacity  building,  related  roadmaps  and  integrity  pacts  and  exchange  of 
knowledge between managing authorities through existing tools 130; support capacity to participate in 
competitive programmes; 

  strengthen communication and dialogue with  local  authorities, civil  society, businesses, the 

public and young people, building on existing structures, including citizens’ dialogues; 
develop strategic foresight on how key trends will affect the outermost regions so as to tailor policies 
accordingly and promote data gathering for evidence-based policy. 

130 

TAIEX-REGIO PEER 2 PEER (ec.europa.eu) and Communities of practitioners.  

24 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
CONCLUSION  

This  renewed  and  strengthened  strategy  for 
the 
Commission’s  unwavering  commitment  to  their  development  and  prosperity.  This  is  an 
institutional  obligation,  as  laid  out  in  Article  349  TFEU;  a  political  imperative,  given  the 
5 million  European  citizens  living  in  these  regions;  an  economic  necessity  because  of  the 
untapped  potential  in  these  regions,  not  least  for  the  green  economy;  and  a  geostrategic 
investment, enhancing these regions’ role as European Union gateways to the rest of the world.   

the  outermost  regions  demonstrates 

Putting people at the centre of this strategy and future actions is also about ensuring that all EU 
citizens, regardless of where they were born or live, have access to education, training, housing, 
healthcare  and  basic  living  conditions.  It  is  about  providing  opportunities  for  young  people  to 
realise their potential.  

It is in this spirit that the Communication sets the priorities for EU action to support sustainable 
recovery and growth in its most remote regions, unlocking their growth potential, helping bridge 
the quality of life gap between these regions and the rest of the Union.  

While such an endeavour requires a strong commitment at EU level, first and foremost it requires 
each region to develop its own vision of recovery and growth. Despite similarities, EU outermost 
regions  are  heterogeneous,  and  their  development  visions  need  to  be  tailor-made,  designed  in 
close  cooperation  with  the  Member  State,  in  line  with  the  European  priorities,  applying  the 
partnership principle, and consulting across all sectors of society in these territories. Sustainable 
recovery  also  requires  prioritisation  at  both  national  and  regional  level,  political  will,  reforms 
and administrative capacity.  

The Commission commits itself to strengthening dialogue and promoting individualised support 
for  this  purpose.  It  will  continue  to  work  in  close  partnership  with  the  outermost  regions  and 
their  Member  States  and  the  other  institutions,  notably  European  Parliament  and  Council,  in 
reflecting these  regions’  specificities across  all relevant  EU policies.  It will redouble  efforts to 
help  these regions  capitalise on their assets, seize the unprecedented opportunities provided by 
EU policies, the single market as well as financial support to invest in their future.  

25