"The Conference on the Future of Europe will be an opportunity for Sicilians, Europeans on the frontier, to contribute in strengthening the house of European democracy. On the other hand, the EU must demonstrate its ability to respond to the concerns and aspirations of citizens." Gaetano Armao, Vice-President of the Region of Sicily made these remarks during an EPP Local Dialogue on the Conference on the Future of Europe and the Mediterranean dimension.
Armao recalled that among the objectives set out in the EPP manifesto for the European elections, there was the need to create a new spirit of community that can protect and renew Europe. "This ambitious goal can be achieved through the Conference on the Future of Europe" he said. Armao added that the Conference on the Future of Europe can also lead to strengthen Euro-Mediterranean cooperation. In this regard he said that local and regional authorities need to be engaged and empowered through territorialization of the European Neighbourhood Policy. "Decentralization of power and decentralized cooperation are key tools to promote peace, democracy and greater security."
Armao who is Chair of the CoR Interregional group on Insular Regions also spoke on insularity ad said that the condition of insularity remains marginalised in discussions on cohesion and funding policies. In this regard he said "The Recovery and Resilience Plans must take into account the socio-economic situation of local communities, ensure that programmes reflect the territorial needs as well as make sure that they are implemented without delay."
Sergio Caci, Mayor of Montalto di Castro said that Sicily represents a European border not just a national border. He said that quite often Sicily and other islands are left alone to face difficult challenges such as migration. In this regard he appealed for a common approach. Caci also spoke about the need to ensure a level playing field when it comes to certain financial policies saying that several businesses were relocating because of disadvantages they were facing.
Giuzeppe Milazzo, MEP said that the Mediterranean Sea is the sea of civilisation, being rich in history and culture. He added that the Mediterranean Sea must not represent the sea of the death and that when it comes to migration this is a European challenge. On the recovery, Milazzo said that Europe has been tested by the pandemic and passed the initial test but this is the starting point and that there is a long way we go. He said that the Conference of the Future of Europe must represent a new era for Europe, a Europe of hope.
Peter Agius, EU expert spoke about the opportunity presented by the Conference on the Future of Europe to address challenges faced by islands. He recalled that article 174 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union refers to the need to give particular attention to least favoured regions such as islands. He said "Notwithstanding several efforts done to promote this issue, we are far from achieving this objective. EU funding is not enough to bridge the gap between different regions and for regions that lag behind to catch up." In this regard he shared a proposal which he presented through the platform on the Conference on the Future of Europe for the European Commission to include the cost of insularity in impact assessments conducted before presenting legalisation to bring this article in the treaty to life. "This will ensure that EU legislation takes into account the challenges faced by islands" he concluded.