Canary Islands requests specific European Union funding for outermost regions
The Government of the Canary Islands has initiated a series of steps to ensure that the outermost regions (OMR) receive specific funding directly from the European Union. The main objective of this initiative is to prevent economic aid from being centralized within national governments, thereby ensuring that resources reach archipelagos and territories far from the continent more directly and efficiently.
To achieve this goal, the Canarian authorities have formally requested the support of the Spanish Executive. The regional government argues that the unique geographical and economic characteristics of the islands require differentiated financial management that takes into account the additional costs derived from insularity and distance from European markets.
The proposal seeks to protect the financial autonomy of the outermost regions within the European framework. According to Canarian representatives, the centralization of funds in Member States can make it difficult for the specific needs of these areas to be addressed with the speed and specificity required by local development and sustainability projects.
The Government of the Canary Islands hopes that the national Executive will act as an interlocutor before the Brussels institutions to defend this position. The intention is for the European Union to maintain and strengthen the mechanisms that allow these regions to manage their own budgets, ensuring that European aid remains a key tool for the progress of citizens living in these areas far from the mainland.