03/12/2018
The president of the Government of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, transmitted to the European Union (EU) negotiator for the “brexit”, Michel Barnier, the concern of that Spanish region and the rest of the outermost regions, for the possible negative impact that his economy due to the departure of the United Kingdom from the EU block, foreseeably in 2019.
The head of the Canarian Executive, who attended this meeting as president of the Conference of Presidents of the ORs, explained exhaustively the situation of these regions as the most vulnerable European regions, both in the face of an unordered departure from the United Kingdom, and against any scenario of deterioration in future relations between the EU and the United Kingdom as a third country.
Fernando Clavijo transmitted a letter and several preliminary reports to Michel Barnier a few months ago about the consequences of Brexit for various sectors of the Canary Islands economy (tourism, agriculture, real estate, etc.), with documents prepared by the work commission created in the Islands to track this process. To said letter, Barnier replied, stating textually that “I am very sensitive to the interests of the Outermst Regions, whose specificities I know very well”.
The meeting was also attended by the Deputy Minister of Economy and Economic Affairs with the European Union, Ildefonso Socorro, who informed Barnier of the concerns of the rest of the ORs, as well as a report on the concrete impact of the “brexit” on the Canary Islands and Madeira.
“There are French overseas departments in the Caribbean, such as Guadeloupe, Martinique and St. Martin, which have a very particular relationship with the British overseas countries and territories and have a very big concern about how the” brexit “may affect their relations” he commented.
Clavijo considered it “important” that the ORs can show their singularities at first hand and said that “we have received from Barnier, who has been Commissioner of Regional Policy, a very favorable reception to our situation”.