By Stefanos Gkikas, Deputy Minister of Maritime Affairs & Insular Policy
The European Commission’s initiative to develop a new European Strategy for Islands marks an important development for the European Union’s cohesion policy, as it highlights the need for islands to have a distinct place in Europe’s development and institutional planning.
As complex geographic entities, islands require targeted policies and a distinct institutional and funding framework that takes into account the specific conditions, needs, and challenges of insularity.
For Greece - with its large number of inhabited islands, intense tourism activity, strong cultural heritage, and the contribution of the maritime economy to economic output - this initiative carries particular significance.
Island regions face long-standing challenges linked to geographic isolation, connectivity with the mainland and inter-island connectivity, the high cost of transportation and energy, demographic pressures, and difficulties in accessing essential services. Contemporary issues such as climate change, the energy transition, and digital upgrading, are also part of this complex landscape.
These difficulties are even more acute on small and remote islands, where the cost of living for households and operating costs for businesses are higher. At the same time, frontline islands face additional pressures, such as migration flows and increased needs for infrastructure and services. In this light, the European dialogue is even more critical for these islands.
At the level of the European regulatory framework, Article 174 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union recognizes the need for special attention to regions that suffer from severe and permanent natural or demographic handicaps, such as island regions. At the same time, the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union safeguards equal treatment and access to services of general economic interest, while the principle of the Rule of Law presupposes the equitable and effective provision of public services, regardless of geographic location.
Within the national institutional framework, Article 101(4) of the Greek Constitution takes into account the special conditions of island regions and requires the legislature and the Administration to provide for their development. Furthermore, Law 4832/2021 established the ‘’National Strategy for the Integrated Maritime Policy in the Insular Area’’, introducing a cross-cutting strategic planning framework for sectoral policies concerning island areas. In addition, through the issuance of a ministerial decision (Government Gazette 7408/B/12.31.2025), the basic principles and priorities of the National Strategy were further specified. As the capstone of these initiatives, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis decided to establish the “Government Committee on Insularity” which will coordinate critical national policies with a direct, positive impact on the islands.
A key link between national planning for the island regions, and the relevant European dialogue, is the General Secretariat for the Aegean and Insular Policy (GSAIP) of Ministry of Maritime Affairs & Insular Policy. In the context of the ongoing discussion on the European Strategy for Islands and the European Commission’s call for evidence from the public and stakeholders, the role of the GSAIP is pivotal, as it gathered and processed proposals from a broad range of stakeholders, including representatives of local governments, chambers of commerce, businesses, universities, and others.
Through this process, the need emerged for the European Strategy for Islands, is to operate in a complementary manner to existing policies, to strengthen multilevel governance, and to adopt a distinct approach to islands, depending on their size, distance from the mainland, economic activity, and population. At the same time, the importance of developing specialized indicators and monitoring tools, such as an Island Dashboard, was underscored, so that island realities can be accurately documented and policy planning can be better substantiated.
The importance of multilevel governance and the resilience of island economies was also highlighted in the OECD’s first report on islands, titled “Policy Pathways Beyond the Shoreline,” which was published last February. The report is the result of a two-year transnational partnership among Greece (through the GSAIP) Croatia, and Sweden, with funding from the European Commission’s DG REFORM. It is particularly significant that, for the first time, the “Cost of Insularity” is approached as a measurable parameter of public policy.
In response to the European Commission’s call for evidence, Greece focuses on the following pillars:
- Establishing a coherent “island-proofing”/territorial-proofing framework, under which the real costs of insularity will be taken into account, and mandatory impact assessments will be introduced for European initiatives affecting islands.
- Improving the availability and quality of data and indicators through the development of new and composite indicators that capture geographic and demographic disadvantages and enable a more accurate allocation of resources after 2027.
- Adapting the state-aid and competition framework to the specificities of islands by providing greater flexibility in sectors such as air and maritime transportation, as well as by adjusting regimes such as “de minimis” so that they reflect the increased operating costs and limitations associated with insularity.
- Safeguarding the “right to remain” and enhancing attractiveness for young people by ensuring access to quality jobs, services, and educational opportunities.
- Strengthening targeted funding, particularly in the context of the next programming period, with emphasis on securing a minimum level of funding in Partnership Agreements and prioritizing existing resources in favor of island regions.
- Reducing the administrative burden and strengthening the administrative capacity of island administrative authorities so that they can design and implement projects, including solutions such as the creation of “one-stop shops” for access to funding, as well as the strengthening of tools such as Integrated Territorial Investments (ITI) and Community-Led Local Development (CLLD).
In conclusion, the European Strategy for Islands represents an important opportunity to shape a coherent, fair, and effective framework for the development and sustainability of island regions. The goal is not only to address existing inequalities, but also to create the conditions for islands to remain vibrant, productive, and attractive places to live, work, and create.
Greece can, and play a leading role in the European dialogue by leveraging the knowledge and experience of its significant island regions.
