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The proposal for an Association of Outermost Regions Ports was discussed during a working meeting held at the headquarters of the Presidency of the Government of the Canary Islands in Las Palmas, alongside Seatrade Cruise Med.
Representatives of the ten ports currently participating in the cooperation platform attended the meeting, including the Administration of the Ports of the Autonomous Region of Madeira (APRAM, SA), which operates under the responsibility of Madeira’s Regional Secretariat for Economy.
Pablo Rodríguez Valido, Minister for Public Works, Housing and Mobility of the Government of the Canary Islands, also attended the meeting. Participants presented the objectives of the initiative, the work undertaken by the ports during the past year and the proposal to establish a permanent association.
Rodríguez Valido expressed the support of the Government of the Canary Islands for the process, highlighting the role of stronger cooperation between Outermost Regions ports and the development of common positions towards European institutions.
Proposal to advance at Guadeloupe meeting
The Canary Islands will formally present the proposal to establish the association at the next meeting of the OR Ports Group, scheduled to take place in Guadeloupe as part of the Conference of Presidents of the Outermost Regions.
At that meeting, participants are expected to propose the creation of a dedicated working group tasked with defining the future association’s structure, governance and principal areas of activity.
The planned organisation would provide Outermost Regions ports with a permanent framework for cooperation, supporting the exchange of expertise and experience, greater coordination and the development of common positions on European port and maritime policy.
Madeira, through APRAM, has played an active role in the process, contributing to the identification of shared challenges and the development of joint positions among the participating ports.
Ports strengthen engagement with EU institutions
Over the past year, Outermost Regions ports have held technical meetings, exchanged operational experience and developed joint initiatives aimed at increasing their collective engagement with European policymakers.
Among these initiatives was the preparation of a position paper on the European Port Strategy, which was submitted to the European Commission.
The ports also organised an institutional programme in Brussels in May, including meetings with representatives of DG CLIMA, DG MOVE and DG MARE.
The Las Palmas meeting consolidated the cooperation established to date and marked the beginning of the next phase of the initiative, focused on creating a permanent body through which the ports can coordinate their activities and strengthen their collective representation at European level.
The future association is expected to bring together port authorities from Portugal, Spain and France, representing ports in Madeira, the Azores, the Canary Islands, Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Réunion, Mayotte and Saint-Martin.
Through the proposed structure, Outermost Regions ports aim to formalise their existing cooperation and create a common platform for addressing the regulatory, operational and maritime policy issues affecting ports located in the EU’s geographically remote territories.
Tags: Association of Outermost Regions Ports Seatrade Cruise Med Pablo Rodríguez Valido Canary Islands