NEWS

The Observatory on Tourism in the European Islands (OTIE) has as the main purpose to draw up statistics surveys and make documents of research in order to identify the current issues of Tourism in the European Islands.

Five years after its foundation, the Observatory is going to get together its own Technical and Scientific Committee in Brussels, the 21st March 2012.

Researchers and students from universities are going to offer their collaboration to draw the picture of island tourism.
In the occasion of the reconstitution, the TSC is going to give two days of training courseon the 22nd and 23rd March 2012 in Brussels that are addressed to students from universities and graduate students, experts of tourism, researchers from research corporations and representatives from public administration offices.

For more information and registration fees: info@otie.org

8 February 2012 : The Islands Commission is organising a meeting on: ««How can the EU 2014-2020 cohesion policy integrate the EU’s island dimension?»

The stakeholder conference "Europe's Special Areas?" took place on 8 December 2011 in Brussels, with participants representing the different types of geographic specificities across Europe

Mr Ugo CAPPELLACCI, President of Sardegna Region was elected President of the Islands Commission during its meeting held in Aarhus on 28 September in the framework of the CPMR General Assembly.

The 31st General Assembly of the CPMR Islands Commission took place in Saaremaa (Estonia) on the 19th and 20th May 2011.

Signing Ceremony of the Pact of Islands within the context of the European Sustainable Energy Week, 11-15 April 2011 that brings together over 5000 participants in Brussels each year and many more throughout Europe with multiple conferences, exhibitions and specific workshops.

A new cohesion policy regulation will be discussed in both the Parliament and the Council in the second half of this year. It is therefore highly important to boost the visibility of islands in the framework of the territorial cohesion.
The Balearic Islands and Corsica are jointly organizing a debate on the subject to be held in Brussels during the Open Days, on 10-13 October.

Six insular regions have already joined the initiative, and we would like more to take part.

Next preparatory meeting will be held on Friday 11 February at 9.30 a.m. at the premises of the Balearic Islands office in Brussels.

If you're interested in joining the initiative and/or participating in this meeting, please contact us by Tel.:(+32)2 223 14 10 or by email: islands@cbalears.eu or ctc.bruxelles@skynet.be.

The meeting took place with Mr Michel Barnier,Commissioner in charge of Internal market and services

Islands Commission response to the EC consultation on “The CAP towards 2020: Meeting the food, natural resources and territorial challenges of the future”.

Islands Commission draft response to the public Consultation on the Conclusions of the Fifth Report on Economic, Social and Territorial Cohesion

Participation of the Executive Secretary of the Islands Commission in the seminar “European Islands: development perspectives within Cohesion Policy framework beyond 2013” organized in Chios (Greece) next 20 December.

The Intergoup 174 has launched its offical website.

The Islands Commission met on 29th September in conjunction with the CPMR General Assembly in Aberdeen.

EP Debate on the "European strategy for the economic and social development of mountain regions, islands and sparsely populated areas" and response from Commissioner Hahn

DG Regio opened a procedure of contract notice : "Study on the relevance and the effectiveness of ERDF and Cohesion Fund support to regions with specific geographical features - islands, mountainous and sparsely populated areas".
Time limit for receipt of tenders: 14th September 2010

The Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists & Democrats in the European Parliament held a seminar on islands in Brussels on the 1st July.

The 30th General Assembly of the CPMR Islands Commission was held in Ponta Delgada (Azores) the 20 and 21 May 2010.

The Balearic Islands Governement organized a conference on insularity the 26th April 2010 in Palma (ES).

The parliamentary intergroup "Mountains, Islands, Sparsely Populated Regions" held its first meeting last 24th February at the European Parliament.

ESPON published a report, on "The Development of the Islands – European Islands and Cohesion Policy (EUROISLANDS)", presenting the interim results of a Targeted Analysis conducted within the framework of the ESPON 2013 Programme.

The Islands Commission organized a workshop on maritime transport that took place on the 18 and 19 February 2010 in Bornholm.

The Parliamentary Intergroup “Mountainous, Islands, Sparsely Populated Regions” was set-up and validated on 8 December 2009.
Mr Alyn Smith (MEP), a Scottish MEP who attended our annual conference in the Outer Hebrides had undertaken, together with colleagues from or representatives of these various territories, to take the initiative of setting up such an Intergroup so that the interests and specific characteristics of these territories are taken into account and protected.
Another Intergroup supported by the CPMR, the “Seas and Coastal Affairs Intergroup”, has also been approved.

The DG for Regional Policy has just published the following document “Territories with specific geographical features“ (on regional research and indicators ) that provides an analysis of the economic and social situation of these territories, and their evolution in recent years.

Revised version of the response of the CPMR Islands Commission to the EC Consultation on the Green Paper on "Territorial Cohesion: Turning territorial diversity into strength".

EU island regions express solidarity with small island states on the issue of climate change.

Insulae Conference. Great Minor European islands is an event organized by the Tuscan Region and by the Tuscan ‘Anci’ [Association of Italian Municipalities] together with Ancim [Association of Italian Minor Islands], which has chosen a double perspective for its second edition of the “European Conference on Minor Islands”.

Comments of the CPMR Islands Commission on the consultation of the 5th Maritime Cabotage Report

Islands, mountains and sparsely-populated areas to set up special interest Group in EU Parliament.

« On the initiative of the Ministry of the Economy and Finance of the Hellenic Republic, a study dedicated to the " Development of Islands " is to be initiated by ESPON (European Spatial Planning Observation Network) www.espon.eu as part of its working programme. Entitled "EUROISLANDS", this proposal is supported by 11 partners (6 regional authorities and 5 national authorities) from 9 member states of the EU, and also by diverse organisations representing island interests (CPMR Islands Commission, INSULEUR, ESIF, etc.) »

More information :
www.espa.gr

Article 158 was thus finally amended as follows:

(a) in the first paragraph, the words "economic and social cohesion" shall be replaced by "economic, social and territorial cohesion";

(b) in the second paragraph, the words "or islands, including rural areas" shall be deleted;

(c) the following new paragraph shall be added: "Among the regions concerned, particular attention shall be paid to rural areas, areas affected by industrial transition, and regions which suffer from severe and permanent natural or demographic handicaps such as the northernmost regions with very low population density and island, cross-border and mountain regions."

Adoption of Mr Musotto's report on "The islands and natural and economic constraints in the context of the regional policy".

You will notice a number of proposals from the lslands Commission.

Text of the report in all languages:
www.europarl.europa.eu

The European Parliament adopted on 4 July 2006, the report presented by Ms Caroline LUCAS on Reducing the climate change impact of aviation.
The Parliament also adopted in its Plenary session, by a very large majority, an amendment asking that a special attention be paid to the situation of most isolated territories and especially to insular or outermost regions.

Amendment adopted by the EP :
www.islandscommission.org />
Or
www.islandscommission.org