28 September 2009

Key objective

• I undertook at a meeting of the Conference of Peripheral and Maritime Regions in Stornoway, to endeavour to establish within the new European Parliament a cross-party, cross-nationality Inter-group of MEPs from islands, mountain and sparsely populated areas from across Europe.
• The aim of such an Inter-group would be to promote and defend the interests of Europe’s islands, mountain and sparsely populated areas at the European level, to ensure the EU institutions are made more aware of the issues and challenges facing such areas and that the new provisions of Article 174 of the Lisbon Treaty which states that “special attention” is to be paid to these areas are fully taken on board in future EU legislation.
• The initiative is supported by the Islands Commission of the CPMR as well as a host of other EU organisations.

Background

• Article 3 of the Lisbon Treaty, which is still to be ratified by all 27 EU Member States, commits the EU to promoting economic, social and territorial cohesion and solidarity among the Member States.
• A separate chapter on Economic, Social and Territorial Cohesion (Title 18) has been included within the Treaty and sets out under Article 174 (formerly Article 158) that the EU “…..shall develop and pursue its actions leading to the strengthening of its economic, social and territorial cohesion. In particular, the Union shall aim at reducing disparities between the levels of development of the various regions and the backwardness of the least favoured regions. Among the regions concerned, particular attention shall be paid to regions which suffer from severe and permanent natural or demographic handicaps such as the northernmost regions with very low population density and island, and mountain regions”.
• An informal working group (the “Article 158 Group”) was set up within the CPMR Islands Commission in 2008 to ensure that whenever the Lisbon Treaty enters into force the provisions of Article 174 regarding territories with permanent natural or demographic handicaps are implemented effectively within EU legislative and that greater territorial cohesion across Europe is achieved.
• The “Article 158” Group also wants to ensure that their specific interests and concerns are taken into account by making representations to the EU institutions and the Member States.  The Group, which would I hope play a pivotal role in supporting the Intergroup within the Parliament,  brings together a number of European organisations and associations representing the economic, social and political interests of territories beset by severe and permanent natural or demographic handicaps i.e. those northernmost areas with very low population density, islands and mountain areas. These are:

Ø      The European Association of Elected Members from Mountain Areas (AEM),

Ø      Euromontana (European multisectoral association for the cooperation and development of mountain territories which brings together regional and national mountain associations across Europe),

Ø      The European Small Islands Federation (also includes the Scottish Islands Federation),

Ø      The “Islands Commission” of the CPMR,

Ø      Network of the Insular Chambers of Commerce and Industry of the EU

Ø      The Northern Sparsely Populated Areas (NSPA).

What the Intergroup would do

• During the 2009-2014 EP mandate there are a number of key policy issues on the EU’s agenda of clear specific interest to remote and rural areas and island communities:

Ø      the future shape of Europe’s agriculture post-2013

Ø      forthcoming changes to the Less Favoured Areas Support Scheme

Ø      future shape and direction of the EU’s cohesion policy post-2013

Ø      state aid

Ø      reform of the CFP and new maritime policy

Ø      climate change and renewable energy (energy supply)

Ø      transport of live animals

Ø      as well as other key issues and challenges such areas continue to face regarding fuel taxation, depopulation, air and sea transport, sustainable development, competitiveness and innovation, culture.

• These are all issues where areas across the EU face similar challenges with other island, mountain and sparsely populated areas across the EU and where it is important to have as strong and coherent a position as possible.
• An Inter-group within the EP based on the “Article 158” Group presents an opportunity to work together with our European partners in promoting and defending the interests of islands, mountains and sparsely populated areas, raising the profile of their particular concerns, issues and challenges within the EU, enabling such areas to seize opportunities and strengthening their position in and influence over EU-level policy discussions.
• Many of the issues facing Europe’s islands, mountains and sparsely populated areas transcend a number of the EP’s committees.  The setting up of this Inter-group has the potential to develop into a significant force within the EP.
• As such it will make it easier to gather parliamentary support for ensuring the specific interests and concerns of Europe’s islands, mountains and sparsely populated areas are taken into account within EP reports, amendments, resolutions, written declarations, debates, parliamentary questions to the Commission and Council and thereby providing Europe’s remote and peripheral areas with a real ‘political’ voice.
• It would provide interested MEPs with a vital forum for open debate and discussion on a wide range of policy issues affecting remote and peripheral areas together with senior members and officials of the Commission, the Council and Permanent Representations, Council Presidencies, various European organisations and associations, local authorities, devolved and national governments.
• Such a grouping would also provide the opportunity to raise current issues of concern, act as a catalyst for initiating actions by MEPs, exchange information, share best practice, networking, produce papers, hear from relevant experts and more importantly give some much needed leverage at the EU level to the needs and concerns of Europe’s island and mountain communities and sparsely populated areas.

Group composition

• All MEPs with an interest in the issues and concerns of Europe’s islands, mountain and sparsely populated areas would be invited to join the Inter-group.
• The structure of the intergroup in terms of office bearers and "prestige positions" is I think something to be decided by the members of the intergroup, though for my part would favour a "joint presidency" of an MEP from each group acting in concert to set agendas and arrange meetings.
• The relevant European organisations and associations representing remote and peripheral areas would be invited to join as partners of the group.

Alyn Smith MEP

28 September 2009