The President of the Government stated in Malta that citizens and institutions from peripheral and maritime regions have to be clear about what they intend for the future of Europe, stressing that they "cannot be neutral" on important issues such as post-2020 Cohesion Policy.
 
"When we represent about 150 regions from 28 European states and nearly 200 million citizens, our mission is to defend the interests of their members with national and European institutions by promoting economic, social and territorial cohesion, reinforcing regional power in Europe and enhancing the peripheral and maritime dimension of Europe. We must be clear in stating what we think Europe should do in the future," said Vasco Cordeiro. The President of the Government spoke at the General Assembly of the Islands Commission of the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions of Europe (CPMR).
 
Vasco Cordeiro, who chairs the CPMR since September 2014, stated that this meeting takes place "in a very particular context" due to external issues, such as the UK decision to leave the EU or the new U.S. administration, and internal issues, namely the negotiations on the future of the European cohesion policy. Hence, he defended that "each actor should defend what they want for the future of Europe."
 
"Not what others in Europe want for us, we should rather defend what we, as regions, want for Europe," the President of the Government said, adding that the regions that make up CPMR should have an "active voice" on issues such as migration, economic and social crisis or environmental preservation and conservation.
 
"This is our function as representatives of the insular and maritime regions of Europe. We cannot adopt a neutral position with regard to the subjects to be discussed," such as the future of Europe, the post-2020 Cohesion Policy, the priorities of islands, accessibility or energy transition, Vasco Cordeiro added, highlighting the importance of the meeting that will take place today on the island of Gozo.
 
The President of the Government defended that European regions "cannot be subject to debates and opinions at the level of Member States and EU institutions; they have an obligation to give consistency and practice the EU motto, which is to be 'United in Diversity.'"
 
The Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions of Europe is an inter-regional cooperation organisation that comprises 150 regions from 28 European states, encompassing nearly 200 million citizens. The mission of this body is to defend the interests of its members with national and European institutions by promoting economic, social and territorial cohesion, reinforcing regional power in Europe and enhancing the peripheral and maritime dimension of Europe.