Miguel Castro, an unaffiliated deputy in the Madeira Regional Legislative Assembly, has expressed deep concern that Madeira and the Azores could lose specific European funding in the next Multiannual Financial Framework of the European Union, covering 2028 to 2034.
Castro argued that outermost region status must have concrete effects on European policies and budget decisions, reflecting higher transport costs, mobility difficulties and distance from major markets. He pointed to Article 349 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which provides for tailored measures for these regions.
He called on the European Commission, the European Parliament and national and regional leaders to firmly defend adequate financial allocations for outermost regions, and urged Portuguese MEPs to act actively on the islands' behalf.