“Is there anything more important for European security and defense than having the ultraperipheral regions developed, socially and territorially cohesive, populated by people, thus allowing Europeans the right to stay?” questioned José Manuel Bolieiro.
The leader of the Azores government spoke today in Brussels at a conference promoted by the European Parliament on “Strengthening Cohesion Policy for the Outermost Regions and Islands: Facing Challenges and Embracing Opportunities Post-2027,” which was broadcast online.
In his address, he remarked that “EU inaction makes these regions and territories more receptive to external players and could pose threats to the European project and European democracies. And this should receive full attention.”
The official also highlighted that the ultraperipheral regions are a maritime and aerial frontier of the EU, as well as “a repository of biodiversity, as 80% of European biodiversity is located here.”
“Furthermore, equally important is the EU’s participation in achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and those of the European Union itself. For instance, we in the Azores are pioneers and leaders, having already designated 30% of our sea as Marine Protected Areas,” he stated.
In his opinion, the region he leads does not need obligations for significant environmental goals: “We accomplish them voluntarily. What we need are incentives to continue doing well.”
The Azores span, with their nine islands, about one million square kilometers of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), covering much of the North Atlantic, which accounts for “more than half of Portugal’s EEZ,” he emphasized.
“This is why I have advocated transforming regions of need, which they are and will continue to be due to their unique condition, into regions of opportunity. We receive a lot from the EU, but we contribute significantly and can contribute even more to the European project and the future of Europe,” he asserted.
Bolieiro stressed that the Azores are, in the Atlantic, a “center of influence with the potential to be a reference for Europe.”
“Research, innovation, deep-sea knowledge, and also the protection of critical underwater infrastructures. I recall the Russian ghost fleet or Chinese fishing vessels in the Atlantic, or the monitoring and protection of airspace and space or the submarine fiber optic cables,” he noted.
In this regard, he stated there should be a strategic interest from the EU in ensuring that the Azores and ultraperipheral regions “maintain and strengthen the conditions for the use of infrastructures for the benefit of the EU’s defense and its policies and interests.”
“It is in the EU’s interest that collective equipment related to accessibility maintains the highest level of operationality. It is in the EU’s interest that the Azorean sea, our marine protected areas, our blue economy are supported by science and innovation, with concrete technological measures as part of the Union’s action for security, defense, and environmental sustainability,” he argued.
He also mentioned that in the context of the next Multiannual Financial Framework, cohesion, competitiveness, and collective security “are three non-negotiable pillars,” along with respect for the singularity of ultraperipheral regions.
“We have advocated for the adoption of a specific program, commonly known as POSEI, under Article 349 of the treaty for transport in ultraperipheral regions,” he recalled.
And he concluded: “We have counted on the support of the European Parliament. The European Commission itself has recognized its validity, but we need action. Urgent action.”
