23 and 24 April 2024 marked a crucial milestone for Europe’s islands, which gathered at the Teatro Micaelense in Ponta Delgada, Azores, for the Islands Commission General Assembly. Indeed, the meeting provided a unique framework to discuss the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of islands within the European Union.
Day 1: Political commitment and European perspectives
The first day of the Islands Commission General Assembly began with an opening session marked by inspiring speeches from José Manuel Bolieiro, President of the Regional Government of the Azores and Acting President of the Islands Commission, and Loïg Chesnais-Girard, President of Brittany Region and President of the CPMR. President Bolieiro stressed the importance of territorial continuity including the islands, and then highlighted their potential for innovation. For his part, President Chesnais-Girard argued in favour of a Cohesion Policy led by the regions, underlining the crucial role of multi-level governance in the European Union.
The political session saw lively debates on the priority areas to be addressed at EU level, as the electoral campaign for the European Parliament’s elections in June 2024 gets underway. Speakers such as Marie-Antoinette Maupertuis, President of the Corsican Assembly, defended the need to leave no territory out of Cohesion Policy, in particular islands and outermost regions, as provided for in Articles 174 and 349 respectively of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). Peter Berkowitz, Director of Policy at the European Commission’s DG REGIO, confirmed these remarks, highlighting the European diversity that needs to be taken more into account in the implementation of Cohesion Policy. This is reinforced by the aim of reducing disparities between regions in line with the objectives set out in the European treaties.
Following this initial debate, the presentation of the Islands Commission Final Declaration by President Bolieiro confirmed the consensus on the priorities for islands, reaffirming the importance of a territorialised Cohesion Policy. The Final Declaration of 2024 was therefore 
unanimously adopted by the members of the IC attending the meeting, just before the General Assembly continued with various thematic sessions.
The maritime session addressed the challenges and opportunities of sustainable blue economy in islands. Juan Manuel Lafuente, Regional Minister for the Sea and the Water Cycle of the Government of the Balearic Islands, highlighted the need to preserve endemic islands’ biodiversity while developing a sustainable blue economy. Camille Pelage, Regional Councillor for Guadeloupe, then called for traditional fishing methods to be better included in European legislation. Finally, Luís Brito E Abreu, Advisor to the President of the Azores Government, then spoke about islands’ vulnerability to pollution and climate change. Concrete proposals were then put forward, notably for greater regional involvement in maritime spatial planning and the development of multi-stakeholder and multi-level marine governance.
Day 2: Energy, connectivity and environmental challenges
The second day of the General Assembly began with a session on the theme of energy, where members of the Islands Commission shared their strategies for achieving energy self-sufficiency by taking advantage of the often-abundant renewable energy sources available to them. Jean-Pierre Chabriat, Regional Councillor in charge of Research and Energy Transition for the Réunion Region, outlined his region’s ambitious objectives in this area and the involvement of insular communities in the process. Julieta Schallenberg, Regional Vice-Minister for Ecological Transition for the Canary Islands, then highlighted the energy supply challenges facing the islands, despite their considerable renewable resources. Finally, Liis Lepik, Deputy Mayor of Saaremaa, highlighted the financial obstacles to achieving energy targets, particularly the need for loans.
The following session, focusing on transport, highlighted the connectivity and sustainability challenges for islands. John Borg, Permanent Secretary for Gozo, stressed the importance of improving connectivity for the Maltese island’s quality of life and economic growth. Indeed, ensuring a better connectivity is crucial to increasing competitiveness for island businesses and improving access to public services. Filip Reinhag, Deputy Mayor of Gotland, spoke of his island’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint by promoting electric aviation, in the light of the ambitions of the ‘Fit for 55′ package. Lastly, Rui Coutinho, Director of Mobility for the Azores government, called for European regulations to be properly adapted to better meet the specific needs of islands.
The final session, moderated by Kostas Komninos, Director of DAFNI and dedicated to climate and environmental issues, emphasized the importance of biodiversity conservation and innovation in tackling environmental challenges. The speakers agreed on the need for a holistic approach integrating energy, water and mobility to ensure a sustainable future for islands, as proposed by Gianni Chianetta, Chairman of Greening the Islands. Beatrice Avagnina, representative of the IUCN, and Julien Lorthios, representative of the French Biodiversity Agency (OFB), then presented the BESTLIFE2030 programme, highlighting the objectives of conserving biodiversity and the sustainable use of ecosystem services. Thus, as Nuno Da Silva Ferreira, representative of the Small Islands Organisation (SMILO), argued, supporting the implementation of nature-based circular solutions in islands, and the adoption of regional strategies in this area, can tip the balance in favour of more resilient and better adapted insular territories.
The meeting concluded with the presentation of the Islands Commission’s activity report by its Executive Secretary Claudia Guzzon, who pointed out the IC’s annual achievements and future activities. She also recalled the calls for projects of interest for the members and the main statutory meetings to come.
The next plenary meeting of the Islands Commission will be held during the CPMR General Assembly in Gozo from 2 to 4 October 2024, providing another opportunity for members to continue to advocate for a prosperous and sustainable future for Europe’s islands.
