Participation of INSULEUR President Giannis Roussos in the
European Commission Conference in Paphos
INSULEUR – the Network of Insular Chambers of the European Union – participated in the High-Level Conference entitled “Empowering the Islands and Coastal Communities of the European Union”, held on 25–26 June in Paphos, Cyprus, with the participation of the President of the Network.
The Conference, organised by the European Commission in cooperation with the Secretariat of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union, marks a milestone for European cohesion policy, as it officially launched the new European Strategies for Islands and Coastal Communities.
The Conference brought together the President of the Republic of Cyprus, the Prime Minister of Malta, European Commissioners, Ministers, representatives of the Member States, EU institutions, regional and local authorities, and leading representatives of island Europe.
The adoption of the two new European strategies represents a historic milestone for Europe’s islands. For the first time, the European Union addresses the specific characteristics and opportunities of island and coastal regions through a comprehensive approach, recognising them not as peripheral exceptions but as strategic pillars of European development, the blue economy, the energy transition, climate resilience and security.
The new strategy gives practical effect to the institutional recognition of insularity established under Article 174 of the Treaty of Lisbon, creating a coherent European policy framework and tools to address the particular challenges faced by island regions.
The strategy is built around four key pillars:
• Economic development, competitiveness, innovation and connectivity.
• Energy security, the green transition, environmental protection and climate resilience.
• Social cohesion, demographic sustainability and quality of life.
• Security, civil protection and crisis management.
For Greece and Cyprus, two predominantly island states in the Eastern Mediterranean, the strategy is particularly important, creating the conditions for a more targeted European policy capable of strengthening the competitiveness, sustainable development and cohesion of island economies.
INSULEUR President Giannis Roussos stressed that the adoption of the European Strategy marks the beginning of a new era for Europe’s islands, highlighting that the real challenge now lies in translating the strategy into concrete policies, appropriate funding instruments and practical measures capable of delivering tangible results for island communities and businesses.
He also underlined that INSULEUR, representing the insular Chambers of Commerce of the European Union, will continue to participate actively in the European dialogue by submitting evidence-based proposals and contributing to policies that strengthen the competitiveness, resilience and sustainable development of Europe’s islands.
The Paphos Conference marks the beginning of a new European path for island territories, bringing to fruition many years of efforts by Europe’s island regions and opening the way to a new development model centred on people, local communities and the blue economy.
