The President of the Regional Government of the Azores, José Manuel Bolieiro, yesterday in Brussels, defended the strengthening of European policies for the Outermost Regions, stressing the importance of maintaining and expanding the POSEI program.

After the conference, he announced that he would send a letter to the President of the European Council, António Costa, contesting the European Commission’s proposal for the new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for the period post-2027. The President of the Azores Regional Government, José Manuel Bolieiro, participated yesterday

in Brussels, in the high-level conference “Putting the Outermost Regions (ORs) back at the heart of the European political agenda,” promoted by EURODOM, where he defended the need to strengthen the European Union’s specific policies for the ORs in the future Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028–2034.

At the meeting, which brought together leaders from the ORs, MEPs, and representatives from the European Commission, José Manuel Bolieiro signed, on behalf of the Azores, the Brussels Declaration, a joint appeal from the Outermost Regions for the European Union to keep these regions at the center of Cohesion Policy and European development. The document reaffirms the strategic role of the ORs in Europe’s geopolitics and sustainability, emphasizing the duty to comply with Article 349 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which enshrines differentiation in their favor.

During his speech at the panel on the future of the MFF post-2027, José Manuel Bolieiro warned that the European Commission’s proposal “represents a worrying step backwards” by merging historical policies into a single, centrally managed fund. For the minister, this option “eliminates the differentiation that has always characterized the European approach to the ORs and weakens regional autonomy.”

“The ORs are a strategic asset for the European Union. They represent geopolitical presence, biodiversity, environmental contribution, and connection to the world. Our role is an integral part of the future of Europe,” he said.

The President of the Government stressed that the ORs cannot be penalized for their permanent structural limitations, recalling that Article 349 imposes on the European Union the obligation to adopt adapted and differentiated policies.

“There is no reason to back down on this legal, political, and moral commitment,” he declared, stressing that European cohesion and solidarity “must be translated into concrete policies and adequate budgets.”

The leader of the Azorean executive also presented concrete proposals that mark the Azores’ position in this European debate – for example, he advocated maintaining and strengthening the POSEI program in agriculture, considered essential for the food autonomy and social stability of the islands, as well as the creation of a POSEI-Fisheries and a POSEI-Transport, instruments aimed at compensating for the additional costs of insularity and ensuring accessibility and territorial continuity.

The minister also stressed the importance of a European strategy for energy and the environment in the ORs, highlighting the Azores’ potential as a living laboratory for the energy transition.

“We have nine isolated micro-grids and enormous potential in clean energy. We want to be an example and a partner for innovation in Europe. But for that, it is essential that the MFF recognizes the specificities of archipelagos and supports our reality in a differentiated way,” he said.

The Declaration of the Outermost Regions, signed in Brussels, calls on the European Commission to thoroughly review its proposal and ensure compliance with Article 349, and to adopt an ambitious European policy with dedicated and reinforced budgets. The document also calls for the maintenance of the POSEI program, the creation of POSEI-Fisheries and POSEI-Transport, as well as increased allocations of ERDF-OR and ESF+OR funds, and higher co-financing rates to ensure territorial continuity and public investment in the outermost regions.

“Without differentiated policies, there is no true equality. Respect for Article 349 is essential to ensure that no region is left behind. The ORs are an opportunity for Europe to be fairer, more united, and closer to its citizens,” he said.

The President of the Regional Government takes a message from the Azores to the President of the European Council.

After the conference, José Manuel Bolieiro announced that he will send a letter to the President of the European Council, António Costa, expressing the Region’s opposition to the European Commission’s proposal for the post-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).

“We are against the Commission’s proposal. Under its terms, it does not comply with the ORs. I will make this position known to the President of the European Council in a letter,” said the President of the Regional Government.

The letter, which will be sent in the coming days, aims to raise awareness among the European Council of the importance of preserving specific instruments such as the POSEI program, considered essential for the food autonomy and economic balance of the islands, and to propose the creation of a POSEI-Fisheries and a POSEI-Transport, dedicated to compensating for additional costs and improving the mobility and connectivity of island regions.

José Manuel Bolieiro will also advocate maintaining increased co-financing rates, strengthening budgets dedicated to the ORs, and creating specific chapters for each region in national and regional plans, to ensure the effective participation of the Outermost Regions in the design and implementation of European policies.

“A Multiannual Financial Framework that fully recognizes the specific characteristics of the ORs is not only a matter of territorial justice, it is a pillar of the resilience, cohesion, and competitiveness of the European Union itself,” the minister stressed.

José Manuel Bolieiro also pointed out that this letter reflects the concerted political position of the ORs, reinforced by the joint declaration signed in Brussels, and reiterated the Region’s willingness to collaborate with the Government of the Republic and the European institutions in defending a balanced solution for the next financial framework.

“The Azores are fully committed to contributing to a more cohesive, fairer Europe that leaves no one behind. This is the meaning of the letter we will send to the President of the European Council: a calm but firm defense of the principle of differentiation that is at the heart of the European project,” he concluded.

In Correios dos Açores-Natalino Viveiros, director.

Translated into English as a community outreach program by the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL), in collaboration with Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno. PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.