EN
C 493/50
Official Journal of the European Union
27.12.2022
Tuesday 7 June 2022
H. whereas islands’ physical disconnection and their remoteness from the mainland create additional constraints, including for the labour market, sustainable transport links and mobility, the importing of raw materials and consumer products, access for island products to neighbouring external markets, education, healthcare, business, access to water and sanitation, energy supply and waste management facilities; whereas this geographical disconnection makes the green transition of such territories towards a climate-neutral economy significantly more difficult;
I.
whereas equal access to quality and inclusive skilling, upskilling and re-skilling measures, as well as to information on skills resources, counselling, education and vocational training for all people, including for people living in sparsely and depopulated rural and remote areas and islands, is crucial for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience;
J.
whereas, in accordance with Article 349 TFEU, for the outermost regions, which are in their large majority islands, the EU must adopt specific measures aimed at laying down the conditions of application of EU common policies to those regions, in particular in areas such as customs and trade policies, fiscal policy, free zones, agriculture and fisheries policies, conditions for supply of raw materials and essential consumer goods, State aid and conditions of access to structural funds and to horizontal Union programmes; whereas specific measures in all those areas contribute to strengthening economic, social and territorial cohesion in the EU;
K. whereas during the COVID-19 pandemic, seasonal and posted workers often lacked basic healthcare, decent accommodation, personal protective equipment and adequate information; whereas they often had only inadequate access or no access at all to social protection schemes in the host Member States, including sick pay and short-term unemployment schemes; whereas the mobility of workers is highly dependent on available means of transport, and workers from islands and the outermost regions of the Union are particularly affected;
L. whereas the long-term social, economic, environmental and cultural consequences of the COVID-19 crisis on the island territories of the Union are of particular concern, and whereas Europe’s recovery must include the islands and must not create further regional disparities; whereas the COVID-19 crisis has demonstrated that island economies are highly vulnerable to such events;
M. whereas islands' often high unemployment rates, which tend to be higher than on the mainland, have been severely exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis, affecting young people in particular;
N. whereas islands and outermost regions are on the front line of climate change, affected by rising sea levels and coastal erosion and the warming and acidification of seas and oceans and the increased frequency and violence of natural disasters such as cyclones, volcanic eruptions, forest fires and storms, floods, drought and the problems of desertification which can have negative effects on agriculture and food supply and can cause multiple forms of economic, social and environmental damage; whereas they can be excellent testbeds for a range of ecological transition processes and many are seeking to achieve energy autonomy based on renewables;
O. whereas islands have many assets whose potential should be better realised;
P. whereas islands have exceptionally rich biodiversity and ecosystems; whereas island ecosystems are particularly threatened by the impact of climate change and should be protected;
Q. whereas, on many islands, inland areas lag behind coastal regions in terms of economic development and service accessibility;