Français
More than just a gathering, the 30th conference of the presidents of the outermost regions (ORs), held on November 5 and 6 in Guadeloupe, had all the makings of a true summit. The leaders of the nine outermost regions—French Guiana, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Mayotte, Réunion, Saint Martin, the Azores, Madeira, and the Canary Islands—were in attendance. The European Commission was represented by its Vice President, Raffaele Fitto, as were the European Parliament, the European Committee of the Regions, and the European Economic and Social Committee. In addition, the Minister for Overseas Territories, Naïma Moutchou; the French Minister Delegate for European Affairs, Benjamin Haddad; the Spanish Secretary of State for the European Union, Fernando Sampedro; and the Portuguese Secretary of State for European Affairs, Inês Domingos, also participated in the discussions.
Many important topics were addressed during the two-day conference. Chief among these was the negotiation of the multiannual financial framework, but also the priority given to issues concerning the defense of these territories and the maintenance of their security—particularly to preserve the economic and geostrategic assets that the ORs represent for Europe. Needless to say, environmental issues were also raised, as were legislative developments in several key areas (project and infrastructure financing, deforestation, fisheries, the use of European funds, health, etc.).
Of note was the presence in Guadeloupe of Xavier Lédée, president of the Territorial Collectivity of Saint Barthélemy. Although the island of Saint Barthélemy has not been an outermost region (RUP) since January 1, 2012, when it acquired the status of an OCT (Overseas Country and Territory), it has held the presidency of the OCTA (Association of Overseas Countries and Territories) since last April. It was in this capacity that President Lédée made the trip. When asked by the JSB to comment on his participation in the 30th Conference of Presidents of the Outermost Regions, the elected official did not respond.
For the record, the outermost regions are part of the European Union; they are included in the eurozone, the common market, and the European customs territory. As for their citizens, they hold European citizenship.
