The President of the Government of the Azores continued today the round of contact with senior official from European Institutions in Brussels with the aim of raising their awareness for the importance of the European Union maintaining the main Community investment tool in the regions under the next multiannual financing framework.
 
Following these institutional and political contacts, Vasco Cordeiro, who also chairs the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions of Europe (CPMR), met today with the first Vice-President of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans.
 
At this meeting, the President of the Government reiterated the importance of maintaining a strong cohesion policy after 2020 for the Azores, defending that Europe still needs this tool with sufficient means to accomplish its goals.
 
In late 2017, Vasco Cordeiro also met in Brussels with the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, who expressed his concern about the future of EU funds for European regions, such as the Azores.
 
Earlier this week, the President of the Government had the opportunity to meet with the European Commission's chief negotiator for Brexit, Michel Barnier, as well as with the President of the Committee of the Regions, Karl-Heinz Lambert.
 
On that occasion, Vasco Cordeiro signed the “#CohesionAlliance” Declaration, which formalised the accession of the Azores to a coalition of European regions and entities claiming the existence of a strong and effective Cohesion Policy in the Community budget after 2020.