A representative from Asinca participated on Tuesday, April 21, in an implementation dialogue organized by the European Commission, focusing on the challenges faced by businesses in the EU's outermost regions. The meeting aimed to gather proposals to boost the competitiveness of these regions, in the context of the future OR Strategy and a regulatory simplification package.

During the intervention, the Asinca representative emphasized that industries in the Canary Islands operate in a unique environment not always recognized in European policy design, creating additional obstacles. It was highlighted that, despite Article 349 of the Treaty acknowledging the singular situation of ORs and legally obliging the Commission to adapt its policies, current regulations impose high costs and excessive administrative burdens.

Given this situation, it was proposed that the New OR Strategy and the EU's regulatory simplification agenda present an opportunity to correct these deficiencies. It was urged that Article 349 be applied transversally in all legislative initiatives and that an “OR Test” be incorporated into legislative acts to evaluate their consequences and propose compensatory measures.

Among the specific requests, an urgent review of the ETS Directive was sought to include an exclusion or compensation scheme for ORs. It was also proposed that the new General Block Exemption Regulation recognize the structural surcharges of OR industries, requiring differentiated treatment in operating and investment aid, and a specific SME definition for these regions.

Finally, the implementation of simplified and digitized procedures for customs and health inspections and controls in ORs was urged. The maintenance of specific allocations from the Feder-OR Fund with increased co-financing and POSEI as a Commission-dependent instrument with reinforced funding in the new Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034 was also requested. The creation of an OR Industrial Committee as a permanent advisory body was also proposed.