EU supports the Govern's amendment to enhance competitiveness in the fishing sector

The Plenary has also admitted the amendment presented in relation to the policies of saving and use of water resources in the islands.

The Director General of Institutional Relations and with the Parliament, Xesca Ramis, expressed her satisfaction that the Plenary of the Committee of the Regions of the European Union, which took place in Brussels between Wednesday, April 2, and Thursday, April 3, has approved the four amendments presented by the Government of the Balearic Islands to the draft opinions on the European oceans pact, improving the competitiveness of the agricultural, livestock, and fishing sectors, as well as on the policies of saving and use of water resources that have been debated these days at the headquarters of the European Parliament.

Ramis considered it "good news for the interests of the Balearic Islands" that the CdR Plenary has incorporated into the proposed opinion on the European oceans pact the specific needs that also present the island regions demanding a "firm commitment so that fishing and aquaculture occupy a central role in the blue economy, guaranteeing their viability and competitiveness." Ramis added that "we cannot allow the fishing activity to continue to decline due to policies that do not understand our particularities. In addition, we demand more investment in the collection of oceanographic data to manage our resources with real knowledge, adapted to the characteristics of the Mediterranean."

The CdR Plenary also accepted that in the proposed opinion on EU agricultural and regional competitiveness, special incidence in the island regions is considered, stating that the agri-food sector "is a fundamental pillar to guarantee Europe's food sufficiency and the sustainable development of rural areas" for which European policies "have to be built from the knowledge of geographical reality, because not all regions face the same conditions" and, in the case of island territories, the extra costs in production, transport, and marketing harm the local product and generate a structural disadvantage that has to be corrected. Therefore, it has asked the EU to consider insularity "as a key element when designing agricultural and rural development policies, ensuring compensation measures that guarantee the competitiveness and viability of the primary sector." "If we want a resilient and sustainable Europe, we have to ensure that island territories can continue producing quality food, caring for the environment, and generating employment," said Ramis.

Regarding the fight against water stress, also linked to the draft opinion on the primary sector, the Plenary has agreed to add a point claiming that the special characteristics and peculiarities of the island territories for the implementation of policies of saving and good use of water resources, in addition to other elements that guarantee the water contribution for the maintenance of agricultural activity, are taken into account.

Finally, the Govern's amendment has also been accepted so that, when implementing policies that guarantee the viability and competitiveness of the primary sector within Europe, the special incidence of the natural geographical limitations presented by the island regions is taken into account.

Ramis thanked the collaboration of the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Natural Environment of the Govern, Joan Simonet; the Director General of Fisheries, Antoni Grau, and the Director General of Strategic Projects, European Funds, and Administrative Simplification, Bárbara Barceló, in preparing the amendments, a task that has been key to their approval.

The Director General of the Govern also intervened in the Plenary to demand the improvement of the connectivity of the island regions and the correction of the problems associated with the increase in costs both for the entry and exit of passengers, residents, and goods due to the island factor.