AZORES | Atlantic regions should be regarded as pillars of Europe, defends Faria e Castro

The Regional Under Secretary of the Presidency, Pedro de Faria e Castro, defended in Florence the need for the European Union (EU) to look at the Atlantic regions as “pillars of stability and development of the European continent.”

Faria e Castro took part in the meeting of the Political Bureau of the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR), where he pointed out that “the future of the EU necessarily involves greater consideration for the regions in decision-making processes.”

In the context of this meeting, he also mentioned that ” maintaining a strong cooperation with the British regions, despite Brexit, is of the utmost importance.”

During the meeting of the CPMR Political Bureau, issues such as the state of cohesion policy in the EU were under discussion, with particular emphasis on the new financial perspectives and the EU budget and the sustainability of fisheries and the preparation of a manifesto to be voted at the next General Assembly, scheduled for November on the occasion of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the CPMR.

“This manifesto should reinforce the demand for a stronger involvement of regional authorities in the EU decision-making process,” said the Regional Under Secretary.

The CPMR is an interregional cooperation body comprising more than 150 regions from 24 countries, EU Member States and beyond, bringing together about 200 million European citizens.

GRA/RÁDIOILHÉU