EU Parliament ELECTIONS 2019

The European Small Isles Federation ESIN – represents 11 Small Islands Federations from the North, West, and South of Europe, and reaches out to a combined population of 450 000 on 150 000 islands.

ESIN and its members are urging MEP CANDIDATES to show their support for the islands of Europe, and especially the smaller ones, by signing up to this island champion pledge.

1. I pledge to use my influence and wherever possible my legislative power to support policies to encourage people to continue to live and work on Islands and ensure that Island residents get equal access to services and investment.

2. I pledge to lobby for positive incentives for companies and individuals creating jobs and sustaining employment in islands.

3. I pledge to support a transport system to the European Islands that supports the needs of resident island population and of businesses, and to lobby for the revision of  state aid rules where they hamper transport links.

4. I pledge to support all efforts to increase access to fast and effective broadband and mobile coverage to our islands.

5.  I pledge to wherever possible and appropriate place islands at the heart of EU climate and environment strategies, given their huge potential to deliver sustainability solutions for all the peoples of Europe. In particular, I pledge to support the Clean Energy EU Islands Initiative for the expansion of renewable energy production on islands, and lobby against charges that are discriminatory against remote areas, eg  high transmission charges.

6. I pledge to continue supporting a strong, well-funded Territorial Cohesion Policy, ensure the Commission develops the required tools that allow areas with structural and permanent disadvantages (islands, mountain regions etc.) to effectively tackle their specific and complex challenges and that national support for CLLD and LEDER will not be eroded in real term and will actually continue.

7. I pledge to lobby for recognition of the special situation of island farmers and their need to overcome the insular overcost, by ensuring that compliance with article 174 TFEU is clearly spelled out and considered in the entire final CAP, as well as factored into relevant national CAP Strategic Plans once the new policy becomes operational.

8. I pledge to lobby for a revision of state aid rules and measures to take into account the specific issues of food production on the smaller islands, and push the Commission to bring forward legislation, in accordance with Article 32 of EU Regulation 1151/2012*, which would create a new optional reserved term “product of island farming” to promote products whose raw material comes from or whose processing takes place on an island.

9. I pledge to support and strengthen the special recognition in the Common Fisheries Policy for dependent, small offshore islands, so that they can be provided with the necessary supports and recognition at member state level to enable them to survive and prosper.

10. I pledge to support an Education and Schools system for the European Islands that supports the needs of resident island populations, and to lobby for the revision of state regulation or rules, where existing schools’ arrangements (often designed for mainland schools ‘contexts) threaten island schools’ sustainability and or hinder island schools’ development. 

11. I pledge to support the creation of an Inter-group focused on Islands’ Sustainability and Development within the European Parliament.

  Name of MEP:          ___________________________________

Place and date:   _________________________________

Signature:  ___________________________________