Regional Government aims to draw up "strategic lines" of European Territorial Cooperation Programme for Outermost Regions
The Regional Assistant Secretary of the Presidency for External Relations stated in Ponta Delgada that the Regional Government aims, with the contribution of social partners, to "draw up the strategic lines" of the new European Territorial Cooperation Programme for Outermost Regions.
Rui Bettencourt spoke to journalists on the sidelines of a meeting with the Board of the Azores Fisheries Federation under the hearing process on that programme. On the occasion, he emphasised that the challenge has been launched to social partners and they are being heard to say which "strategic lines they want" for the areas of fisheries, agriculture, economy and employment.
"Today, we heard the Fisheries Federation, a very important sector of activity for the Azores, and we will also hear the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Azores and the Agricultural Federation so that we can draw up the strategic lines for this programme," the government official stressed.
"The Regional Government has already considered and determined a certain number of strategic lines, but I would like to hear from the social and economic partners what they think about this programme. Hence, we will have the opportunity to convince our partners from Outermost Regions on the importance of a structured programme and convince the European Commission about the relevance of what we are presenting," said Rui Bettencourt.
According to the Secretary for External Relations, "the first challenge is an internal one that involves social partners." In turn, "the second is an external challenge involving other Outermost Regions to find common goals and common projects among all Outermost regions as, besides the Azores' interests, the focus lies on what is common to all."
"We have a unique opportunity to structure Outermost Regions with their own financial resources," the Regional Secretary said, noting that there is already a political entity, the Conference of Presidents of ORs, and there is now the possibility of developing "a financial structure for common development projects."
The European Commission has proposed a specific line of 270 million Euros for Outermost Regions under the European territorial cooperation programme - Interreg. For Rui Bettencourt, "it is very important that Outermost Regions have a specific programme for those regions that will give shape to the existing political entity and to the European Commission's recognition of the provisions of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.