ZAGREB, 17 Dec (Hina) - The European Union plans to present its first-ever strategy dedicated exclusively to islands next year, signalling that future EU policies will take account of the specific needs of island communities, the office of Croatian MEP Tonino Picula reported on Tuesday.
Picula, a Member of the European Parliament and Vice-President of the SEARICA Intergroup responsible for islands, and Ivan Matić, Vice-President of the European Small Islands Federation (ESIN), met with European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans Costas Kadis as part of preparations for the strategy.
Described as a historic step, the first EU strategy for islands is expected to be unveiled by the end of July 2026, during Cyprus's Presidency of the Council of the EU. This marks a clear move away from a "one size fits all" approach, confirming that future EU policies and funding instruments will be shaped around the specific challenges and diverse forms of insularity faced by island communities.
It is especially important to highlight that despite earlier suggestions that island issues might be addressed within a broader coastal strategy, Commissioner Kadis confirmed, following interventions by island organisations and with strong support from Picula, that the European Commission will develop a standalone strategy focused solely on islands.
At Picula's invitation, Ivan Matić participated in the meeting and presented a new set of island development indicators known as "Habitability". Despite decades of cohesion policy, many islands continue to lag behind comparable mainland areas, partly because policy design and funding allocation rely on incomplete and imprecise data.
Developed at Finland's Åbo Akademi University with support from Picula's office, the Habitability methodology offers a more accurate picture of island life. It measures, among other factors, average daily pressure on island infrastructure by accounting for tourists, day-trippers and part-time residents, as well as distance expressed in travel time that reflects seasonality, delays, cancellations and weather-related disruptions. These indicators more realistically capture living conditions on islands and are essential for effective policies and fair funding.
Matić noted that ferry travel time does not reflect the real time islanders need to access mainland services.
Commissioner Kadis thanked Picula for his long-standing commitment to island issues and stressed that reliable, standardised data must be a cornerstone of the new strategy. He also supported Picula's proposal to organise a conference early next year on data-based policies, with a particular focus on island communities.
Picula concluded that islanders themselves must be involved in shaping island policy, as there are no better experts on island life. He added that he was especially pleased that the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE) is led by a Cypriot who fully understands what living on an island means.
Picula is a founding member of the Intergroup on Seas, Rivers, Islands and Coastal Areas (SEARICA) and its current Vice-President for islands.
He has advocated for EU island policy since 2013, securing funding for the island secretariat within the Clean Energy for EU Islands Initiative, ensuring islands were referenced in the European Green Deal, and consistently highlighting Article 174 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, which guarantees special treatment for geographically disadvantaged areas such as islands.
