The seven outermost regions of Europe (the Canary Islands, the Azores, Madeira, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Réunion) are at the centre of discussions at the conference on the future of the European strategy for these regions, beginning on the 14th May 2008 in Brussels on the initiative of Danuta Hübner, Member of the European Commission responsible for regional policy.

The aim of the meeting, involving the seven regional presidents and representatives of the French, Portuguese, Spanish [and Netherlands] governments and representatives of other European institutions, academic institutions and socio-professional circles, is to update and enrich the European strategy for the outermost regions in the light of the four major challenges facing these regions: climate change, demographic trends and migratory flows, the future of agriculture and the role of the outermost regions in the EU's maritime dimension.

Four major challenges

Apart from the plenary sessions, providing for high-level political exchanges on the development of the strategy for the outermost regions, the conference will be based around four workshops discussing the major challenges for the future of these regions:

• Climate change: these regions have exceptional natural advantages (great potential in terms of renewable energy, biodiversity, etc.) which must be exploited to the full in combating climate change.
• Demographic trends and migratory flows: the conference will discuss in particular the impact on the economic and social development of the outermost regions of high birth rates and population ageing, and the phenomena of immigration and of population movements to the mainland.
• Agriculture: agricultural production and food supply remain essential for the economic viability of these regions, which may be further consolidated by Community rural development policy.
• The role of the outermost regions in European Union maritime policy: the particular aim here is to examine the various aspects of governance in the maritime sector, and to discuss the contribution of maritime activities to the development of these regions. Particular attention will be paid to the areas of marine research most relevant to these regions.