In line with the Treaty, the Commission is fully committed to working with the outermost regions and their Member States to build a robust framework to boost the sustainable growth of these territories and improve quality of life for their people.
The 2022 strategy was implemented and yielded positive results, but the outermost regions still lag behind the EU average. This is why the Commission announced a new strategy in the mid-term review of cohesion policy, also included in Commission Work Programme 2026.
Actions under the new strategy complement those taken directly by the regions and their EU Member states, which remain primarily responsible for the sustainable growth of these regions.
A coordinated, cross‑sectorial approach will help to make progress in outermost regions as strategic outposts from the Union. The strategy focuses on four objectives, aligned with the current geopolitical context and EU political priorities.
Objectives
The outermost regions play a key geostrategic role in the evolving global landscape, thanks to their location in the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, South America and the Indian Ocean, amongst critical sea lanes and major trade routes.
Most of the outermost regions rank among the least competitive regions in the EU. However, their young population, vast maritime zones, diverse ecosystems and exceptional geographical characteristics offer untapped potential for growth, innovation and economic diversification.
The outermost regions are particularly vulnerable to external shocks and must be better equipped to respond and adapt to them, including environmental challenges (e.g. sargassum), climate change, natural disasters and hazards (e.g. cyclones), marine pollution and supply chain disruptions.
Some outermost regions still face difficulties in ensuring access to basic needs, such as clean water and sanitation or health services. Key for their stability is to foster employment, access to education and social inclusion, and reduce poverty, in the place they call home.
The way forward
The Commission will seek to identify, at an early stage, whether an upcoming initiative may have significant and differential impacts on outermost regions.
Get more details on the proposals included in the first ever regulatory package adopted by the Commission in September 2026.
Actions to maximise the impact of EU policies, funds and programmes in the outermost regions and improve their administrative and engineering capacity.
Know more on how the partnership and dialogue between the Commission and the outermost regions will be enhanced.
The outermost regions package was adopted on 10 September 2026. It consists of a new strategy with an overarching and ambitious vision to meet the specific needs of the outermost regions; a regulatory package with Article 349 as the legal basis; and a Staff Working Document containing the supporting evidence to the regulatory package.
More information on the adoption and publication of the outermost regions package can be found below.