Paphos, Cyprus. Ireland’s Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, Jack Chambers, said on Thursday that Ireland’s upcoming presidency of the Council of the European Union would place cohesion policy, regional development and the future of Europe’s islands at the centre of the European agenda.
Speaking at a high-level conference on islands and coastal communities in Paphos, Chambers said Ireland, as one of only three EU member states with significant island territories, understood both the opportunities and challenges associated with island life.
Focus on island regions
Chambers said Ireland was fully committed to advancing the shared European goal of strengthening island regions through the framework of the European Union’s cohesion policy.
Quoting an Irish proverb, he said, “There is no strength without unity,” and described the phrase as a guiding principle for both Ireland’s upcoming presidency and the future development of European cohesion policy.
Challenges facing islands
He said islands across Europe were custodians of rich cultural heritage, biodiversity and maritime traditions, but also faced distinctive structural challenges, including geographical isolation, limited connectivity, exposure to climate change and economic vulnerability.
Chambers said these were daily realities for communities across Europe’s islands, from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean.
Right to stay
The minister said cohesion policy’s central objective of ensuring that no region is left behind was particularly relevant for island territories.
He said island and rural regions should not be disadvantaged by geography and that EU policy must ensure equal access to jobs, services and connectivity so that people can build a future at home.
Chambers linked this to the emerging European “right to stay” principle, which seeks to ensure that people have a genuine choice to remain in their communities rather than being forced to leave because of a lack of opportunities or services.
Ireland’s position
Chambers said Ireland had long recognised the importance of its offshore islands, viewing them not merely as places of residence but as vibrant communities that contribute to both national identity and economic life.