INSULEUR Adopts the Syros Declaration: A Common Position for a Strong and Ambitious EU Policy for Islands Post-2027

The Network of Insular Chambers of Commerce and Industry of the European Union (INSULEUR) has formally adopted the Syros Declaration, a unified call urging the European Union to place island territories at the centre of its post-2027 policy framework. At a time when the European Commission is preparing the next generation of cohesion instruments, INSULEUR stresses that islands must receive the targeted recognition and support they are entitled to under Article 174 TFEU, which acknowledges their permanent and structural constraints.

 

Why a New Policy Approach Is Needed

Although islands are explicitly mentioned in the EU Treaties, the policies addressing their needs remain fragmented, inconsistent and insufficient. This lack of a coherent approach results in limited access to funding, administrative barriers, and investment gaps-challenges that particularly affect SMEs and micro-enterprises, the backbone of island economies. INSULEUR emphasises that European islands are not peripheral territories but strategic assets, essential to EU cohesion, environmental protection, energy transition, blue economy development, and geopolitical stability. Without adapted tools, territorial inequalities will deepen, undermining the Union's cohesion goals. Syros Declaration (002) (1)

 

INSULEUR's Vision for the Post-2027 Framework

The Syros Declaration calls for a decisive shift: from scattered measures to a structured, long-term and legally recognised framework for island development. INSULEUR argues that islands must be treated as distinct regional realities requiring policies tailored to their challenges and opportunities. The recommended EU policy pillars include:

• Explicit inclusion of islands in cohesion policy, recognising their structural handicaps.
• Stronger support for island SMEs, ensuring competitiveness and green/digital transition.
• Simplified and proportionate procedures, making EU funding genuinely accessible to small island actors.
• Guaranteed transport, digital and energy connectivity, treated as a basic right for citizens and businesses.
• Flexibility in crisis and emergency responses, addressing climate risks, natural disasters and economic shocks.
• Formal involvement of island chambers in EU decision-making, ensuring that local knowledge shapes EU policy.
• Greater investment in sustainability and climate neutrality, with tools adapted to insular ecosystems.
• A clear role for Chambers of Commerce as capacity-builders and innovation drivers for island SMEs. Syros Declaration (002) (1)

At the heart of this vision lies a central demand: the creation of a dedicated EU Strategy for Islands.

A Critical Policy Moment for Island Territories

In its April 2025 mid-term review of Cohesion Policy, the European Commission acknowledged the unique challenges facing islands and announced its intention to develop a specific Strategy for Islands. However, the 2026 Commission Work Programme scaled back this ambition, proposing instead a broader communication on "islands and coastal communities". INSULEUR expresses strong disagreement with this change in direction, warning that grouping islands with coastal mainland areas would dilute the focus and undermine the recognition of insularity as a distinct territorial category under EU law. Syros Declaration (002) (1) The network calls on the European Commission to:

• Reaffirm its April 2025 commitment to initiate a stand-alone EU Strategy for Islands.
• Launch an inclusive consultation with island stakeholders.
• Ensure that future EU regulations integrate insularity-specific provisions, avoiding situations where general rules override the realities of island territories.

Only a dedicated, long-term strategy can ensure continuity, visibility and impact across EU programmes-while strengthening the Union's territorial cohesion.

A Call for a Strong and United European Response

INSULEUR reiterates that Europe's islands embody innovation, cultural heritage, biodiversity, and strategic relevance. Yet they continue to face demographic pressure, climate vulnerability, and limited connectivity-challenges that will only intensify without coordinated action. The Syros Declaration represents a united position from Europe's island chambers, calling for fairness, strategic investment, resilience and recognition. As the EU shapes its post-2027 framework, INSULEUR stands ready to collaborate with European institutions to ensure that island territories are no longer treated as an afterthought, but as essential partners in Europe's future.    

 

READ THE COMMON POSITION (252 KB)