President Daniel Gibbs is currently in Paris as part of the meetings of the Outermost Regions (ORs) of the European Union with the State.
As a preamble to the meeting with the State, President Gibbs participated, last Monday, in the statutory meetings of the ARUP which were held at the Maison de Saint-Martin, rue de Varenne. During these meetings, the member regions renewed the board of directors and elected their new President. President Gibbs was unanimously elected president of the ARUP. He thus succeeds the President of the territorial community of Guyana, Rodolphe Alexandre. On this occasion, the regions agreed to strengthen their joint actions.
“I am very happy to represent the French Outermost Regions within the Union. Basically, we have many subjects to work on. I am thinking for example of the need for harmonization in the strategies that we will have to deploy to defend a common position vis-à-vis the government and Europe and to move our territories forward, "said President Gibbs.
Meetings with two government ministers on European issues
In the afternoon, the presidents of RUP and the parliamentarians of the territories, were able to discuss with the Minister for Overseas France, Annick Girardin, and the Minister in charge of European Affairs to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs , Ms. Loiseau, on future budgetary and regulatory proposals for the next European programming period.
EU issues such as defense, immigration and budgetary constraints after 2020 following the withdrawal of the United Kingdom were discussed. The Overseas Minister invited the ORs to participate fully in the citizens' consultations launched by the President of the Republic, by involving actors and citizens of the territories in order to gather their proposals for the future of the EU. The approach of the European elections (May 2019) and the need to encourage strong mobilization from overseas in view of the low turnout observed in previous years, was also underlined by Minister Girardin.
A common roadmap for the ORs
With the approach of the proposed multiannual financial framework of the EU (scheduled for May 2, 2018), the Regions have given the two ministers a joint document in which they recall the importance of an “ambitious, flexible cohesion policy and adapted to their realities, with a budget commensurate with the challenges and based on multiple, transparent and measurable financial eligibility and allocation criteria ”. The Presidents also want specific measures to support the development of traditional sectors in their territories.
The inclusion of the ORs in terms of regional integration has been requested by the Regions, which is a major axis of development in our respective geographic areas, with the adoption of suitable instruments.
As they have been doing for a few months already, the ORs have argued for the full application of Article 349 TFEU of the European Union, and on this basis the adaptation of European policies to the realities of our overseas territories. The ministers replied in return that most of the requests expressed in this document were among the priorities of the State.
President Gibbs will ensure that these priorities are defended.
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