​On 21 April, European Committee of the Regions' commission for economic policy (ECON) held it external meeting and a seminar in Malta on the role of entrepreneurship in the economic growth of Europe's island regions.

In the presence of politicians from different levels of government, entrepreneurs and representatives of business organisations and EU institutions, Ms Marie-Antoinette Maupertuis, member of Corsica's regional authority, presented her draft opinion on entrepreneurship on islands.

About 17.7 million Europeans live on the EU's lowly populated islands with a GDP that is less than 80% of the EU's average, mostly due to their specific geographical characteristics. Due to low
population density, high transport costs, small size and a lack of market diversification, Europe's island regions are highly dependent on the entrepreneurial initiatives of their citizens. That is why Ms Maupertuis put a particular focus on the need that the reformed cohesion policy puts special attention to Europe's islands and ensure their complete territorial integration and equal opportunities for island populations in the single market.

She further called on EU institutions and Member States to extend business incentives, to ease public procurement and state-aid rules (particularly for transport and energy), and to give more concerted financial, technical and policy support to help entrepreneurs diversify the "economic monocultures" that dominate many islands as well as to promote features of the 'sharing', 'circular' and 'knowledge' economies.

Ms Maupertuis's opinion is scheduled for adoption at the CoR plenary session on 11 May.

Another prominent member of the EA group, Mr Tadeusz Truskolaski, President of Bialystok, chaired a session "Challenges and opportunities for island entrepreneurship" during the seminar.