The European Commission on 11 September 2026 issued a new communication on the strategy for the Regiones Ultraperiféricas . It explicitly recognises the special position of these territories as a strategic advantage for Europe and takes up key Spanish proposals. Spain’s Minister for Territorial Policy, Ángel Víctor Torres, welcomed the Commission’s approach and highlighted its importance for the Canary Islands.
According to the communication, the regions are to be more closely integrated into the single market. The plans include targeted measures to boost competitiveness, steps to build resilience to climate and security risks, and additional support for training and youth employment. The Commission says it will systematically take the specific features of the outermost regions into account in regulatory initiatives and Article 349 TFEU apply it consistently. Spain had submitted these priorities to the Commission at the start of the year, explicitly including housing issues and strengthening the primary sector.
For Spain, confirmation of special financial instruments is crucial. The communication reaffirms support for POSEI to stabilise agriculture in remote areas and points to the role of regional partnership plans in the forthcoming 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework. The Commission also proposes further adjustments to the Emissions Trading System including extended transition periods and special arrangements for air and maritime transport in the affected areas, as well as assessments of targeted exemptions from the carbon border adjustment mechanism. Specific arrangements are to be set out in forthcoming legislative procedures.
The guidelines address key economic sectors such as fisheries, tourism, renewable energy, logistics and research. They also provide for closer dialogue with territorial authorities so that the concerns of the outermost regions can be reflected at an early stage in EU programmes and legislation.
Madrid views the communication as an important interim step. It establishes a political framework and prioritises the concerns of the outermost regions, but ties concrete commitments to negotiations on the next financial framework and subsequent legislation. Government sources say the Commission’s approach improves certainty for investment planning, but can only take effect once the budgetary and legislative decisions of the coming months are made.
On the Spanish side, the Regiones Ultraperiféricas comprise the Canary Islands. French and Portuguese territories are also included. With this communication, the Commission continues the differentiation established under Article 349 TFEU over many years, while linking it more closely to industrial, social and climate policy. Forecasts for growth and employment remain dependent on the final design of the measures.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).