General Assembly & Forum of INSULEUR & Aegean Cuisine Symposium Cyclades 2025

 

Hosted by the Chamber of Commerce of the Cyclades, the two-day event held on 17 & 18/10/2025 gathered representatives from Spain, Italy, Malta, Greece, and Portugal, alongside European and national stakeholders, to highlight how the resilience of island economies depends on the strength of their primary sector - agriculture, fisheries, and local production.

More than 60 participants attended INSULEUR's Annual Forum, entitled "Building Resilience in Island Economies through Sustainable Agriculture."

 

The event featured high-level messages including from Ms. Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, Mr. Seamus Boland, President-designate of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), and Mr. Filip Reinhag, President of the CPMR, who all expressed their support for the Forum's objectives and INSULEUR's advocacy for island regions.

 

📺 Watch the full Forum livestream replay:
👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4xfNCnd6jc

 

Speakers explored how innovation, sustainability, and policy alignment can empower the primary sector and drive the green transition in islands.

They underlined amng other the importance of integrating renewable energy and digital tools into agriculture, protecting traditional varieties, and connecting research with small-scale production. Participants also called for a permanent "Island Clause" in EU legislation, stronger coordination between DG REGIO and DG AGRI, and greater access to funding for island SMEs and cooperatives.

 

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Aegean Cuisine Symposium - "The Taste of Authenticity"

 

The Aegean Cuisine Symposium Cyclades 2025, held on the following day, celebrated the connection between gastronomy, cultural identity, and sustainable development in the Aegean islands. Producers, chefs, and hospitality professionals from across the Cyclades showcased how local food systems safeguard culture, biodiversity, and community values, offering participants an authentic cultural and gastronomic experience in iconic venues across Ermoupoli.

 

📺 Watch the Aegean Cuisine Symposium livestream replay:
👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EYVQX30m_E

 

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A Shared Commitment to the Islands' Future

 

The INSULEUR General Assembly, Forum, and Aegean Cuisine Symposium collectively reaffirmed the network's mission:
to ensure that Europe's islands are recognised not as peripheries, but as drivers of innovation, sustainability, and resilience. Through coordinated advocacy, cooperation projects, and cultural initiatives, INSULEUR continues to strengthen the voice of Europe's islands - proving that when Europe invests in its islands, it invests in its future.

 

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📄 Below you can find:

• The Press Release of the event (EN & EL)
• The Final Program (EN)

 

 

PRESS RELEASE (EN) (136 KB)

PRESS RELEASE (EL) (181 KB)

FINAL PROGRAM (4216 KB)