Question for written answer
to the Commission
Rule 130
Alfred Sant (S&D)

Subject: The EU’s Regional Competitiveness Index and island regions

European Parliament’s resolution on the special situation of islands (04/02/16) recalls that certain handicaps are more difficult to cope with for islands, in proportion to their small size and remoteness from the continental coasts. These impede islands’ access to the single market and are reflected in the Regional Competitiveness Index (RCI 2010, 2013) according to which all island regions ranked lower compared to the allocation methodology used for regional policy. In support to all EU islands, the European Parliament asked for an Islands Desk linked to DG REGIO for coordination work and for an in-depth study/analysis on the extra costs faced as a result of their insularity. The Commission’s answer to Written Question P-004140/2016 states that “the Commission continues to develop data and analysis concerning the different regions in the Union” and that “it is not planned to set up a specific desk for islands”.

In this regard,

– When will the Commission update the RCI?
– How will the Commission respond to the call for better coordination and analysis of issues relating to island regions?
– Does the Commission foresee a study on the impact of extra-costs incurred by islands on their competitiveness and access to the single market?

Answer given by Ms Creţu on behalf of the Commission
1. The Commission will publish the third edition of the EU Regional Competitiveness Index on 27 February 2017. The launch event will take place at the Committee of the Regions in Brussels.
2. The Regional Competitiveness Index may help policy-makers to assess the strongest assets and improvement needs of a region. It also allows a region to compare itself to other EU regions, to find regions with a similar level of competitiveness, and to identify regions it could learn from. The next Cohesion Report will include analysis of the situation and challenges faced by EU regions, including island regions. In addition, the European Spatial Planning Observation Network (ESPON) has launched a study for analysing territories with geographical specificities which will cover islands and address the issue of the specific challenges they face.
The Commission is following programme implementation through Member States reporting, monitoring committees and annual meetings, and analyses this data in its reports. For coordination between policy sectors, the Commission uses consultations and regular inter-service meetings.
3. The Commission is working on a Cohesion Report, for which data are collected and assessed, in view of analysing the situation, vulnerability and needs of the European regions, including island regions.

E-009248/2016

Alfred Sant (S&D), Salvatore Cicu (PPE), Tonino Picula (S&D), Michela Giuffrida (S&D), Costas Mavrides (S&D) u Miltiadis Kyrkos (S&D)
Suġġett: Ir-reġjuni insulari u l-Indiċi tal-Kompetittività Reġjonali tal-UE
Ir-riżoluzzjoni tal-Parlament tal-4 ta’ Frar 2016 dwar is-sitwazzjoni speċjali tal-gżejjer tfakkar li l-gżejjer isibuha iktar diffiċli li jaffrontaw ċerti żvantaġġi, fi proporzjon mad-daqs żgħir tagħhom u mal-periferiċità tagħhom mill-kosti kontinentali. Dawn jimpedixxu l-aċċess tal-gżejjer għas-suq uniku, u huma riflessi fl-Indiċi tal-Kompetittività Reġjonali (RCI 2010, 2013), li skontu r-reġjuni insulari kollha kklassifikaw f’pożizzjoni iktar baxxa meta mqabbla mal-metodoloġija ta’ allokazzjoni użata għall-politika reġjonali. B’appoġġ għall-gżejjer kollha tal-UE, il-Parlament talab l-istabbiliment ta’ “Islands Desk” marbuta ma’ DĠ REGIO għal ħidma ta’ koordinazzjoni, u għal studju/analiżi fil-fond dwar l-ispejjeż żejda li jiffaċċaw ir-reġjuni insulari proprju minħabba l-insularità tagħhom. Fit-tweġiba tal-Kummissjoni għall-Mistoqsija bil-Miktub P-004140/2016 hi tiddikjara li “il-Kummissjoni tkompli tiżviluppa d-dejta u l-analiżi dwar id-diversi reġjuni fl-Unjoni” u li “mhux previst it-twaqqif ta’ uffiċċju speċifiku għall-gżejjer”.
F’dan il-kuntest, il-Kummissjoni mitluba twieġeb għal dan li ġej:
1. Meta se taġġorna l-Indiċi tal-Kompetittività Reġjonali?
2. Kif se tirreaġixxi għas-sejħa għal analiżi u koordinazzjoni aħjar tal-kwistjonijiet relatati mar-reġjuni insulari?
3. Qed tipprevedi studju dwar l-impatt tal-ispejjeż żejda mġarrba mill-gżejjer b’rabta mal-kompetittività tagħhom u mal-aċċess tagħhom għas-suq uniku?

MT
E-009248/2016
Tweġiba mogħtija mis-Sinjura Crețu
f’isem il-Kummissjoni
(17.2.2017)

1. Il-Kummissjoni se tippubblika t-tielet edizzjoni tal-Indiċi tal-Kompetittività Reġjonali tal-UE fis-27 ta’ Frar 2017. It-tnedija se ssir fil-bini tal-Kumitat tar-Reġjuni fi Brussell.

2. L-Indiċi tal-Kompetittività Reġjonali jista’ jgħin lil dawk li jfasslu l-politika biex jivvalutaw l-assi l-aktar b’saħħithom u tal-ħtiġijiet għat-titjib ta’ reġjun. Dan jippermetti wkoll lir-reġjun li jqabbel lilu nnifsu ma’ reġjuni oħra tal-UE, biex jinstabu reġjuni b’livell simili ta’ kompetittività, u biex jiġu identifikati reġjuni li jista’ jitgħallem minnhom. Ir-Rapport dwar il-Koeżjoni li jmiss se jinkludi analiżi tas-sitwazzjoni u l-isfidi li jiffaċċjaw ir-reġjuni tal-UE, inklużi reġjuni gżejjer. Barra minn hekk, in-Netwerk Ewropew għall-Osservazzjoni tal-Ippjanar tal-Ispazji (European Spatial Planning Observation Network, ESPON) nieda studju biex ikunu analizzati t-territorji bi speċifiċitajiet ġeografiċi li se jkopri l-gżejjer u jittratta l-kwistjoni tal-isfidi speċifiċi li jiffaċċjaw.

Il-Kummissjoni qed issegwi l-implimentazzjoni tal-programmi permezz ta’ rappurtar mill-Istati Membri, tal-kumitati ta’ monitoraġġ u l-laqgħat annwali, u tanalizza din id-data fir-rapporti tagħha. Għal koordinazzjoni bejn is-setturi ta’ politika l-Kummissjoni tuża l-konsultazzjonijiet u l-laqgħat regolari bejn is-servizzi.

3. Il-Kummissjoni qed taħdem fuq Rapport ta’ Koeżjoni, li għalih id-data tinġabar u tiġi evalwata, fid-dawl tal-analiżi tas-sitwazzjoni, il-vulnerabbiltà u l-ħtiġijiet tar-reġjuni Ewropej, inklużi r-reġjuni gżejjer.

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