The Committee of the Regions recommended that the European Union, on a proposal of the Regional Government, should pay particular attention to the agricultural sector of Outermost Regions.
 
The Regional Assistant Secretary of the Presidency for External Relations spoke Wednesday after the plenary voting on the Committee of the Regions' report on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) post 2020, considering the specificity of ORs as "extremely important."
 
Rui Bettencourt stressed the importance of this voting for the Outermost Regions due to the fact that agriculture is "fundamental" to the development of the agri-food industry, the safeguarding and promotion of orderly spaces of quality and the fight against climate change.
 
"This is another key element in the strategy that the Azores have outlined to maintain a strong, active and permanent presence in all places where important decisions are taken for the Region. And influencing them," Rui Bettencourt said, recalling the recent adoption of a report by the European Parliament defending the importance of ORs.
 
The government official pointed out that the Regional Government is "doing" what it said it should do when it presented its Programme at the Legislative Assembly.
 
"Agriculture represents a sector of major importance to ORs, not only in the creation of employment and wealth but also in the maintenance of landscape and land planning, tourism and regional cultural identity," stressed the government official. In this, he underlined that this the position of this EU body and of the regions represented therein on the common agricultural policy post 2020.
 
In addition to this recommendation, several proposals submitted in conjunction with the Azorean Government, other regions the rapporteur were also approved at the plenary session, namely those calling for an analysis of the income insurance scheme for farmers in Outermost Regions as a result of specific market conditions, and the increase of support to viticulture in areas such as the ORs.
 
It was also stressed that the CAP should "reflect the diverse agro-climatic realities of Europe," include those of Outermost Regions, taking into account "their functions of protection of land and soil, support to the preservation of rural communities and their cultural values," and the conservation of "an active social system in these regions."
 
Therefore, the Government of the Azores was able to introduce amendments to the Committee of the Regions' document, drawing attention to the particular situation of Outermost Regions, such as the Azores, where agriculture is the main sector of activity, and to its constraints; the latter are recognised in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
 
The report, which welcomed the amendments proposed by the Government of the Azores, was adopted by a large majority at the 124th plenary session of the Committee of the Regions, which ends today in Brussels. The meeting is being attended by the Regional Secretary of the Presidency for the External Relations.