In Strasbourg, Roberta METSOLA, EP President, meets and addresses the Presidents of EU Insular Regions and Islands. They meet in for a Round table discussion on an Islands Pact.

meeting

METSOLA, Roberta (EPP, MT, EP President)

president's agenda

Roberta METSOLA, EP President meets with the Presidents of EU Insular Regions and Islands: arrival and roundtable

Arrival of Roberta METSOLA, EP President; greetings to Younous OMARJEE (The Left,FR) and to Elisa FERREIRA, European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP president, It is no coincidence that a report such as the one adopted today was adopted with such a large majority. It is always important to remember that islands and insular regions face such challenges, both in a specific but sometimes dramatic and unprecedented or even disproportionate way.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, When we see the reports that we have adopted today and when we see the challenges and when we are still waiting for a proper strategy from the Commission shows us how much more we need to do, how much we need to continue to focus on the structural problems. On the access to energy. On depopulation. On diversification of economic activity.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, First of all, the sea is much more than just a source of food, natural resources, or a regulator of the climate. It is also vital to the well-being of individuals across Europe and the world. But bodies of water also present difficulties in certain areas due to the lack of infrastructure and connectivity to the mainland that they impose naturally. And the populations living in islands and in insular regions should not be subject to undue and or unaccountable treatment because of their geographic locations.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, At the moment, if you look at the plenary this week, we have over 8 hours of votes on the climate package which go to the very heart of what our citizens want. What people who come from islands have already started to feel and understand that we need to be the catalyst in this conversation.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, So I will do my part, not only because of where I am, because of where I come from and where I grew up. Even though that forms the very core of my love for the subject, but also passion for further work in this area.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, I benefited greatly from traveling to different islands and understanding and feeling the difficulties. The challenges that are not the same, should not be seen as the same, but can bring us together to have a common platform. And that is something that we can showcase today in this room and let this not be the last time we will meet before we come with a really concrete proposals that we can we can show to our citizens as tangible results for them. Thank you.; (Applaus)