The President of the Legislative Assembly of Madeira, Rubina Leal, advocates that the progress achieved by the Region should not be used as an argument to reduce European support and instruments intended to compensate for the permanent constraints of its outermost region status.
This position was conveyed during a meeting with Raffaele Fitto, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for Cohesion and Reforms, which focused on the future of the Cohesion Policy and the Outermost Regions. Due to time constraints, Rubina Leal handed a letter to Fitto, reinforcing the need to safeguard Madeira's specificity.
"Development does not make an island less insular, nor does it bring it closer to mainland Europe, nor does it create economies of scale where geography does not allow it," stated Leal, highlighting the increased costs in transport, energy, and business competitiveness. She advocates for the application of Article 349 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union for differentiated measures and financial instruments suitable for Outermost Regions.
