Press remarks by Executive Vice-President Fitto on the Outermost Regions Strategy

Ladies and gentlemen,

Today the Commission presents a new Strategy for the European Union's outermost regions.

Let me start with a simple point:

the outermost regions may be far from continental Europe,

but they are at the heart of our European project.

So let me explain what we are doing today, why it matters for Europe, and how we will deliver.

We are talking about nine regions: French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, La Réunion and Saint-Martin, belonging to France; the Azores and Madeira belonging to Portugal; and the Canary Islands to Spain.

They are located thousands of kilometres from continental Europe, in South America, the Caribbean, and the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.

But they are part of the European Union.

And more than 5 million people live there.

Their special situation is recognised by our Treaties.

Article 349 of the Treaty allows the European Union to adapt its rules to their specific realities and constraints.

For many Europeans, the names of these regions may first bring to mind beautiful landscapes, extraordinary nature and holiday destinations.

And of course, these are extraordinary territories.

But behind this image, the reality is more complex.

They face structural disadvantages linked to distance, connectivity, small markets and exposure to external shocks.

And in some of them, people still face difficulties in accessing basic goods and essential services.

But this Strategy is not only about overcoming the challenges created by distance.

It is also about the opportunities created by geography.

They are European gateways to Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa and the Indo-Pacific.

Their maritime zones represent more than half of the EU's exclusive economic zones.

And they are important for our security, maritime surveillance, energy, research, biodiversity and access to space.

Kourou, in French Guiana, for example, is Europe's main gateway to space.

The Strategy is about turning strategic potential into economic opportunities,

and economic opportunities into better living conditions for people.

So, the Strategy is built around four clear objectives.

First, geostrategic potential and regional integration.

We want these regions to play their full role as European gateways, strengthening cooperation with neighbouring countries and regions and contributing to our trade, security, defence and external policies.

Second, competitiveness and better access to the Single Market.

We want to help these regions diversify their economies and develop their strengths: from the blue economy to renewable energy, tourism, agriculture, research, biotechnology, logistics and space.

Third, resilience and preparedness.

These regions are on the front line of natural disasters.

We therefore need stronger infrastructure, greater energy and food security, and better crisis preparedness.

And fourth, social fairness.

Behind every strategy, there are people.

Our objective is both economic and social: to create the conditions for people to build their future in the place they call home.

And this brings me to a fundamental aspect: how we deliver.

Our starting point is simple: equal treatment does not always mean identical treatment.

It is neither reasonable nor fair to apply exactly the same obligations to territories facing fundamentally different geographic, economic and social conditions.

This is precisely why Article 349 exists.

And today, we are putting this principle into practice.

For the first time, the Strategy comes with a dedicated regulatory package with targeted adaptations, exemptions and derogations:

on taxation,

on deforestation rules,

on agriculture,

on fisheries,

and on migration and asylum.

These are concrete examples of what a place-based European policy means.

The objectives remain European. But the way we achieve them must take account of territorial realities.

And this package is not the end of the process.

It is part of a more systematic approach.

We have already moved in this direction with our proposals in areas such as the ETS, the Public Procurement Act approved yesterday and we are ready to do the same with the upcoming European Product act.

And we will continue to examine where further sectoral adaptations are justified.

But there is another important element behind today's Strategy: the method we have followed.

This Strategy and the regulatory package have been built together with the outermost regions and the Member States concerned.

We listened through the public consultation.

We brought together representatives of the regions, Member States and stakeholders at an important event here in Brussels.

And, most importantly, we went to the territories themselves.

Because our approach does not end when a Strategy is adopted.

The dialogue continues – before, during and after our proposals.

Let me conclude by putting today's Strategy in a wider perspective.

European territories are very different. Their challenges are different. Their opportunities are different.

But the principle behind our work is the same:

European policies must fit the reality of places and of the people who live there.

Europe's strength comes from its diversity – and this diversity must be reflected in the way we design our policies.

The outermost regions may be geographically distant from Brussels.

But strategically, they bring Europe closer to the world.

The success of the outermost regions is a success for Europe.

Thank you.