CMPR: A bridge between the European Commission and European Regions

The Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR) can act as a "bridge" between the European Commission and  European regions.

That was the key message CPMR president Vasco Alves Cordeiro (pictured right) delivered in a meeting with three EU commissioners.

The Rennes-based CPMR represents coastal areas and some of the most remote parts of  Europe.

Alves Cordeiro met Corina Crețu, EU commissioner for Regional Policy, Karmenu Vella, commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, and Carlos Moedas, who is responsible for Research, Science and Innovation.

The purpose of these meetings was to "offer CPMR effective collaboration" with the new EU Commission on issues of relevance to both CPMR and the EU.

Alves Cordeiro said: "The CPMR can act as a bridge between the European Commission and regions."

He added: “An active collaboration on financial instruments between the CPMR and the European Commission is needed. The Juncker plan might not reach out to regions which do not have an extensive experience with these instruments and lack the relevant structures to tap into the European Strategic Investment Fund."

The CPMR, he said, can offer its expertise for "building a close partnership" with the Commission on the simplification of cohesion policy and to ensure that regions remain its main actors.

The territorial dimension of island regions in cohesion policy was also discussed.

During his meeting with Karmenu Vella, Vasco Cordeiro underlined the CPMR’s wish to help "mobilise investments" made by the regions through the "European Strategic Investment Fund" in favour of the maritime sector, and to "strengthen the maritime dimension" of the Juncker plan.

Cordeiro also called for “a unified European maritime industrial strategy that could bring together EU initiatives concerning climate change and energy transition, wind and ocean marine energies, as well as the differentiation and diversification of shipyards”.

For the CPMR, this strategy could contribute to the Energy Union initiative, he said.

Education is a "key cross-cutting challenge" and Vasco Cordeiro stressed the need to continue and expand the Vasco de Gama Vasco Maritime Erasmus programme.

Vasco Cordeiro also met Moedas when he again stressed the links between the maritime and marine research dimension of the Juncker plan and structural funds were underlined by the CPMR President.

“The CPMR could be the right conduit to facilitate discussions with regional authorities in the implementation of the Juncker Plan in the areas of interest of the CPMR,” said  Vasco Cordeiro, who is also President of the Regional Government of the Azores.

Share this article: