ÉILEAMH AR OILEÁIN NA HÉIREANN A AITHINT MAR FHO-RÉIGIÚN AR LEITH
Le 38 bliain anuas tá Oileáin na hÉireann ag troid le bheith aitheanta mar fho-réigiún ar leith agus tá forbairt shocheacnamaíoch a bhaineann go sonrach leis na hoileáin amach ón gcósta fós ina chnáimh spairne.
Tá muintir na n-oileán ag iarraidh go gcaithfí le hOileáin na hÉireann mar limistéar ar leith maidir le cláracha rialtais.
Tá fadhbanna struchtúracha dhoimhin ag na hoileáin i.e., dídhaonrú, dífhostaíocht, dícheangal fisiciúil ón mórthír, spleáchas ar iompar muirí, ganntanas acmhainní talún, cúrsaí aimsire, líon teoranta earnálacha agus níor cheart go mbeadh orthu a bheith in iomaíocht le limistéir ar an mórthír le haghaidh acmhainní nó cláir.
Ní féidir srianta forbartha ar na hOileáin a réiteach trí Rialacha an Mhargaidh – táthar ag iarraidh ar na hOileáin dul san iomaíocht sa Chlár LEADER nua atá molta agus na hOileáin a chur isteach lena limistéir chontae seachas le limistéar dá gcuid féin do na hOileáin. Táimid ag iarraidh go dtabharfar aghaidh air seo láithreach.
Aitheantas an AE d’Oileáin
In 2016, ghlac Parlaimint na hEorpa rún maidir le staid speisialta na n-oileán. Aithnítear oileáin, mar aon le réigiúin eile, mar chríocha a bhfuil gnéithe geografacha sonracha acu sa Chonradh ar Fheidhmiú an Aontais Eorpaigh (Airteagal 174).
Le hAirteagal 349, den Chonradh ar an Aontas Eorpach ceadaítear bearta sonracha a ghlacadh maidir le beartais chustaim agus trádála, beartas fioscach, saorchriosanna, talmhaíocht, beartais iascaigh, coinníollacha maidir le soláthar amhábhar agus earraí riachtanacha tomhaltais.
Maoiníonn Cistí Struchtúrtha agus Infheistíochta na hEorpa (Cistí ESIF/ESI) sraith gníomhaíochtaí éagsúla do chríocha uile an AE, agus mar sin do na hoileáin freisin. Bunaíodh forálacha áirithe leis an gcreat rialtachta chun aghaidh níos fearr a thabhairt ar riachtanais na n-oileán agus tacú lena n-acmhainneacht.
Ina theannta sin, tugadh isteach Ionstraimí Nua don tréimhse 2021-2027
Glacadh RialachánREACT-AE an 23 Nollaig 2020. Úsáidtear cistí an Bhallstáit chun tacú le muintir na nOileán
Tá na hoileáin mar fhócas freisin sa sprioc nua aeráide atá leagtha amach ag an gComhaontú Glas Eorpach. (Airteagal 3c.24.)
Shínigh Éire an Meabhrán Split a bhfuil sé mar aidhm Dearbhú Valetta a chur i bhfeidhm agus mar sin bonn níos fearr a chruthú do chomhoibriú ar mhaithe le pobail agus mhuintir oileán an AE.
Don tréimhse 2021-2027 luann an Choimisiúin Eorpaigh in 2018 roinnt tograí chun aghaidh níos fearr a thabhairt ar dhúshláin geografacha na n-oileán. Solúbthacht i dtéarmaí rátaí cómhaoinithe, téamaí sonracha agus rialacha infheistíochta. Leagann an chuid is mó de na moltaí béim ar cé chomh tábhachtach is atá sé go bhféachfaí ar oileáin mar chatagóir ar leith.
Níl aon bhunús i Rialacha ná i Rialacháin an AE chun Oileáin na hÉireann a chosc ó bheith ina Limistéar aitheanta dá gcuid féin do na hOileáin.
Is cinneadh pholaitiúil na hÉireann amháin é seo seachas treoir ón AE mar atá molta. Úsáidtear an Bhruiséil mar leithscéal náisiúnta sa chás seo.
Tá muid ag iarradh ar ár n-Ionadaíthe Poiblí deileáil leis an gceist seo ar ár son.
A CALL FOR THE IRISH ISLANDS TO BE RECOGNISED AS A SPECIFIC STANDALONE SUB-REGIONAL AREA
For 38 years the Irish Islands have been fighting to be recognised as a specific sub-regional area and socio-economic development which is specific to the offshore islands is still not being addressed by the Irish Government. Islanders have been requesting that the Irish Islands are treated as a specific sub-regional area when it comes to government sponsored programmes.
Islands have deep structural systemic problems i.e., depopulation, unemployment, physical disconnection from the mainland, dependence on maritime transport, scarcity of land resources, extreme weather events, limited number of sectors and should not have to be in competition with mainland areas for resources or programmes.
Development constraints on Islands cannot be solved by Market Rules – Islands are being asked to compete in the new proposed LEADER Programme by aligning Islands with their county areas as opposed to a standalone Islands sub-regional area. We are requesting that this is addressed without delay.
EU Recognition for Islands
In 2016, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the special situation of islands. Islands, alongside other regions, are recognized as territories with specific geographical features in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (Article 174)
Article 349 TFE allow the adoption of specific measures regarding customs and trade policies, fiscal policy, free zones, agriculture, fisheries policies, conditions for supply of raw materials and essential consumer goods. State aids and conditions of access to structural funds and to horizontal Union programmes
The European Structural and Investment funds (ESIF/ESI Funds) finance a series of diverse actions for all territories of the EU, thus for islands as well. The regularity framework established certain provisions to better address the needs of islands and support their potential. These can be found in the Common Provisions Regulation (CPR) as well as in some of the five fund-specific regulations linked to the CPR of which ERDF, ESF, The Cohesion fund, EARDF and the EMFF are included.
Furthermore New Instruments have been brought in for the 2021-2027 period
In order to ensure a proper response and recovery from the Covid 19 pandemic, which has hit the entire European Union, brings with it unprecedented socio-economic and health challenges, the REACT-EU Regulation of 23 December 2020 was adopted. The regulations urge Member States to use REACT-EU funds to support people on Islands.
Islands are also a focus in the new climate target set out by the European Green deal. The Just Transition Fund is adopted. The JTF urges Member States to focus on islands and dedicate specific amounts to their national allocations towards islands (Article 3c.24.)
Ireland has signed up to the Memorandum of Split which intends to implement the Valetta Declaration and therefore create a more stable basis for co-operation for the benefit of EU island communities and people.
For the 2021-2027 cohesion policy programming period the European Commission’s 2018 expert analysis mentions several proposals to better address the geographical conditions of islands. Flexibility in terms of co-financing rates, thematic concentration and investment rules. Most recommendations stress the importance of islands being regarded as a distinct category.
There is no basis in EU Rules or Regulations for precluding the Irish Islands from being a recognised Sub-Regional Area for the Islands. It is an Irish Bureaucratic Political decision alone.
This is purely an Irish Bureaucratic issue rather than an EU Issue as proposed. Brussels is used as a national excuse in this case.
We ask our Public Representatives to address this issue on our behalf.