Government recognises work carried out by Ronald Hall in the partnership between the Azorean presidency of the Conference of Outermost Regions and the European Commission
The Director of the Directorate-General for Regional Policy of the EU Commission, Ronald Hall, was welcomed today by the Secretary of the Presidency, André Bradford, and the Under Secretary for European Affairs and External Cooperation, Rodrigo Oliveira, on behalf of the President of the Government at an audience held at the Conceição Palace in Ponta Delgada.
After the meeting, the Under Secretary for European Affairs and External Cooperation stated that he conveyed to the Director of DG-REGIO the Government's recognition for the "proximity and partnership work between the Azorean presidency of Outermost Regions and the EU Commission, including the Coordination Unit for Outermost Regions."
"The Regional Directorate for Regional Policy has played an important role in raising awareness for Outermost Regions. Given its sphere of influence, it pays close attention to the issues our Regions, but this is an ongoing work that needs to strengthened," Rodrigo Oliveira said, adding that the Forum on Outermost Regions will take place in Brussels next month. This event brings together several hundred participants to the debate the present and future of the relations between the European Union and Outermost Regions.”
Regarding the Seminar on the S3 Platform, which begins on Tuesday in Ponta Delgada, the government officials emphasised "the importance of organising this event in the Azores, bringing to the Azores dozens of experts from the EU Commission, institutions and regions who will discuss "smart specialisation strategies." The development of such strategies is one of the requirements for the allocation of funds to the areas of innovation research and development under the Cohesion Policy for the 2014-2020 period."
The future of cohesion policy was also addressed at the meeting with Ronald Hall. It was defended that the "partnership between the European Commission is essential not to ensure an adequate level of funding, but also the respect for the level of regional power and its legitimate options in the future funds regulation."