80 Amendments of Cristina MAESTRE related to 2022/2147(INI)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1
Citation 1
— having regard to Article 349s 174, 349 and 355 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), which grants the outermost regions (ORs) of the EU their status,
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Recital -A (new)
Recital -A (new)
-A. whereas agriculture is a key sector for the economy, employment and territorial and social cohesion of the outermost regions;
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 a (new)
Citation 5 a (new)
— having regard to the Final Declaration of 15 November 2022 of the 27th Conference of Presidents of the Outermost Regions of the European Union,
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Considers that the programme of options specifically relating to remoteness and insularity (POSEI) should be strengthened; calls, in this regard, for an increase in the budget of POSEI fromand for its adjustment to improve aid for agriculture and livestock in the ORs in the forthcoming CAP reform in 2027;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 b (new)
Citation 5 b (new)
— having regard to the Final Declaration of 18 and 19 November 2021 of the 26th Conference of Presidents of the Outermost Regions of the European Union,
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 c (new)
Citation 5 c (new)
— having regard to the Council Conclusions of 1 December 2022 on a European Agenda for Tourism,
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Welcomes the fact that the new revised strategy of the ORs recognises the agricultural sector as crucial for the creation of jobs and economic growth in the ORs; welcomes the increased cooperation between the Commission and the Member States to enable them to adapt and modernise their POSEI-funded activities;
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 25 a (new)
Citation 25 a (new)
— having regard to the European Parliament resolution on a new approach to the Atlantic maritime strategy (T9- 0369/2021)1a, _________________ 1a https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/doc ument/TA-9-2021-0369_EN.html
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 25 b (new)
Citation 25 b (new)
— having regard to the European Parliament resolution ‘Toward a sustainable blue economy in the EU: the role of the fisheries and aquaculture sectors’ (T9-0135/2022)1a, _________________ 1a https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/doc ument/TA-9-2022-0135_EN.html
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 25 c (new)
Citation 25 c (new)
— having regard to Directive 2014/89/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 2014 establishing a framework for maritime spatial planning1a, _________________ 1a OJ L 257, 28.8.2014, p. 135.
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 25 d (new)
Citation 25 d (new)
— having regard to Directive (EU) 2018/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources1a, _________________ 1a OJ L 328 21.12.2018, p. 82.
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Recalls that the effects of COVID- 19, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and the current context of inflation have had particularly harmful effects on the ORs; calls for specific measures to address the consequences of higher prices of livestock inputs; suggests that POSEI and other financial instruments include flexibility measures in the face of unforeseen circumstances in the current geopolitical context;
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 25 e (new)
Citation 25 e (new)
— having regard to the Commission communication of 20 May2020 entitled ‘EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 - Bringing nature back into our lives’ (COM(2020)0380), and the European Parliament resolution of 9 June 2021 (P9_TA(2021)0277),
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 25 f (new)
Citation 25 f (new)
— having regard to the Commission communication of 9 December 2020 entitled ‘Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy –putting European transport on track for the future’ (COM(2020)0789),
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 25 g (new)
Citation 25 g (new)
— having regard to the Commission communication of 19 November 2020 entitled ‘An EU Strategy to harness the potential of off shore renewable energy for a climate neutral future’ (COM(2020)0741),
Amendment 25 #
— having regard to the Commission Study on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the outermost regions (ORs)1a, _________________ 1a https://op.europa.eu/en/publication- detail/-/publication/2216604f-7420-11ec- 9136-01aa75ed71a1/language-en
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the outermost regions (ORs) represent major assets, but also face permanent difficultiegeostrategic assets to the European Union (EU) and their Member States, but face also permanent structural constraints as a result of their insularity (except for French Guiana), geographical dispersion, remoteness, small size, rough terrain and harsh climate, and economic dependence on a few products;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Urges the Commission to increase and speed up the financial allocations for POSEI in exceptional and unforeseen circumstances, such as those faced by the agricultural sector in La Palma after the eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcano; recalls that the consequences of this volcanic eruption have affected more than 370 hectares of agricultural cultivation worth EUR 200 million; calls on the Commission to give greater flexibility and speed to the funds earmarked for such natural disasters;
Amendment 34 #
A a. whereas these structural constraints are a serious handicap for the development of the ORs and therefore specific measures need to be taken to establish the conditions for the harmonious application of the Treaties, including common policies, without undermining the coherence of the Union legal order;
Amendment 38 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas GDP per capita in the ORs is below the EU average, including below their own countries’ averages; whereas the ORs economies have suffered heavy consequences following the introduction of restrictive measures due to the pandemic in March 20201a; _________________ 1a https://op.europa.eu/en/publication- detail/-/publication/2216604f-7420-11ec- 9136-01aa75ed71a1/language-en
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas these regions have high levels of young people who are not in employment,in unemployment, low rates of education orand training (NEETs) and early school leavers,and a high dropout school rate; whereas those rates are higher than the EU and national averages7 ; _________________ 7 https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/source s/policy/themes/outermost-regions/pdf/rup- 2022/comm-rup-2022-glance_en.pdf
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed even more the fragilities of the ORs’ economies; whereas the Russian invasion of Ukraine has exacerbated the economic impact of the pandemic, in particular in the functioning of the supply and consumption circuits, as a consequence of their insularity and/or geographical situation; whereas the Russian invasion of Ukraine has exacerbated the economic impact of the pandemic, namely through the increase in the price of fuel and certain raw materials such as cereals for animal feed;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas it has been predictedesteemed by the European Commission that economic recovery from COVID-19 will be slower in the ORs when compared to national macroeconomic averages8 ; whereas the EU should support the ORs to help them to respond to the continuous rise of inflation that heavily affects the ORs’ primary economic sector; _________________ 8 https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/source s/policy/themes/outermost- regions/pdf/covid19_or_study_en.pdf
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas air and maritime transport are essential for connecting the ORs to the European mainland; whereas the ORs depend strongly on the good state of conservation and sustainable development of ports, as they play a crucial role on the connectivity, economy and cohesion of this regions;
Amendment 53 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Stresses that the outermost regions are home to ecosystems with a high ecological value, which should not be seen as a threatening factor for the balanced development of productive work in the agricultural sector;
Amendment 54 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Stresses the important role that a successful extension of high-capacity digital networks in the outermost regions can play as a tool to facilitate the modernisation and transformation of farms towards more sustainable agriculture;
Amendment 55 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3c. Points out that the use of new technologies and precision farming can facilitate the transformation towards more efficient and competitive agriculture, saving costs, improving performance and minimising environmental impact;
Amendment 59 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes that the proposal for a farm to fork strategy requests the EU to further limit the use of plant protection products; stresses, in this context, that the specific characteristics of the tropical and sub- tropical climates in the ORs must be taken into account; calls on the Commission to offer farmers alternatives to these plant protection products in order to ensure farmers’ viability and not to compromise agricultural production in the outermost regions;
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the primary economic sector is very important for the ORs; whereas the programme of options specifically relating to remoteness and insularity (POSEI) agriculture scheme is therefore essential for the ORs, as was the former POSEIessential for the socio-economic development and territorial cohesion of the ORs, as was the former specific financial operational program for fisheries schemein the ORs;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
G a. whereas the ORs are heavily dependent on blue economy sectors, in particular fisheries and sustainable maritime tourism, for their socio- economic development; whereas sustainably developing the blue economy sectors in the outermost regions could boost job creation and economic growth;
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G b (new)
Recital G b (new)
G b. whereas the continuous loss of marine biodiversity will cause major environmental, social and economic impacts in the EU fisheries sector and in particular in the outermost regions, and must be therefore urgently reversed;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G c (new)
Recital G c (new)
G c. whereas marine protected areas (MPAs) need to be established to comply with the implementation of the EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive; whereas the creation of those areas should be seen as a tool for reconciling the protection of habitats and ecosystems with the socio-economic sustainability of the blue economy;
Amendment 74 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Commission to establish a separate chapter dedicated to the ORs in its impact assessments of the farm to fork and biodiversity strategies; similarly, and in the context of increased demand for a principle of ‘rural proofing’ in European legislation, calls for impact studies for the ORs in the creation of European policies, especially as regards emissions trading, agricultural funds and cohesion;
Amendment 79 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Welcomes the Commission commitment under the Communication on the Long-term vision for rural areas to include the outermost regions analysis within the EU Rural Observatory’s scope; considers that the proposed rural observatory could be a valuable opportunity to identify data gaps and improve statistical databases on the outermost regions, in order to fully capture the needs of their rural population;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G d (new)
Recital G d (new)
G d. whereas the creation of the MPAs have to take place, taking into account public consultation with local authorities and stakeholders, in particular fishers;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G e (new)
Recital G e (new)
G e. whereas the risks of major/regional natural disasters and health emergencies have become systemic and the least developed and most fragile territories, such as the ORs, are often the most affected by such catastrophes;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G f (new)
Recital G f (new)
G f. whereas the ORs are genuine natural laboratories, due to their unique biodiversity that makes them crucial to the promotion of research and conservation of marine resources;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Reaffirms the need to maintain and strengthen coordinated action at EU, national, regional and local level; supports the greaterfull involvement of regional and local authorities in the design of EU policies;
Amendment 93 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Amendment 96 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Stresses the importance of maintaining the EAFRD co-financing rate at 85 % for the outermost regions in order to achieve the development of their rural areas and their agriculture and livestock;
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Regrets the fact that Article 349 of the TFUE is still not being automatically applied in every, where appropriate, in legislative initiatives from the Commission, while recognising that some progress has been made; highlights that the article 349 of the TFUE should be applied in a transversal way to all Union policies and initiatives where appropriate;
Amendment 99 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls for the Commission to exercise the utmost vigilance in the liberalisation of the EU market and the proliferation of trade agreements between the EU and partnernsure full compliance with social, labour and environmental standards in its trade policy with third countries; recalls that agriculture in the outermost regions is more sensitive to the effects of free trade agreements because their products often coincide with those from third countries;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Considers that the EU should be more ambitious in deepening integrated policies for the ORs, through a proactive and consistent EU approach and through a clear and robust support for the sustainable endogenous development of each of these regions;
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Commission to expatend the POSEI model to other sectors and circumstances such as those faced by the various economic sectors on the island of La Palma following the Cumbre Vieja volcanic eruption; recalls that the consequences of this volcanic eruption have affected more than 370 hectares of agricultural cultivation worth EUR 2000 million;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Commission to expand the POSEI model to other sectorcreate more specific measures based in the POSEI model to other economic sectors of the ORs, such as on transport, connectivity, energy and digital transition; stresses that these specific measures are fundamental to the promotion of the sustainable green and blue economies in the ORs;
Amendment 106 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Recalls that the outermost regions are more exposed to the problems arising from price increases due to their geographic allocation; stresses that these regions have an absolute dependence on maritime and air transport for the arrival of raw materials and that there is no alternative to this means of transport;
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls on the Commission to show greater flexibility and speed in the deployment of funds earmarked for the effects of natural disasters in the ORs;
Amendment 112 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Underlines the importance of ensuring the continuity of all existing tax regimes in the ORs, given their impact on the local economies;
Amendment 124 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Cautions that any change to the current provisions regarding animal transport has stronger impacts on regions such as the outermost regions, namely due to their remoteness, archipelagic condition, insularity and small size, which cause notably their strong dependence on sea transport; insists that pursuant to Article 349 TFEU, the special characteristics and constraints of the outermost regions in this regard must be taken into account in the context of the forthcoming review of European rules on animal welfare, notwithstanding the continuous efforts that must be made to reduce the need for the transport of live animals;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Stresses that in order to better tackle the ORs’ structural problems, it is necessary to analyse the specificities of each of them and to conceive measures within a specific plan, with specific and adequate financial allocations, that take into account the characteristics, assets and challenges of each OR;
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7 b. Considers that for ORs to feel a true part of the EU, imbedded into EU’s political action, the EU should be more politically proactive and deliver specific measures to help the sustainable growth of the ORs;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Underlines the importance of young people for the revitalisation of traditional sectors in the ORs; calls for measureson the Commission and the Member States to promote measures that improve labour conditions, fair and adequate salaries, gender balance, personal and professional life balance, in order to attract young people into the primary economic sector;
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Defends the creation of Blue Erasmus, based on the model of the Erasmus+, to enable young people to take advantage of the opportunities ofcreated within the blue economy sectors;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. Stresses that it is crucial to increase the participation of the ORs in all Erasmus+ program actions, to promote strong cooperation, mobility and knowledge exchange between education, research and technological innovation institutions, companies and citizens;
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls on the Commission to launch a pilot projectassist the Member States to launch an action plan, as soon as possible, aimed at combating early school leaving in the ORs;
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 a. Highlights that the promotion of training and certification in the ORs can create more highly qualified and skilled professionals that are normally more attentive and open to implementing behavioural changes, such as more openness to the use of new technologies; recalls that the digital transition and the use of new technologies should be duly accompanied by a proper training for all, local and regional authorities and civil society;
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Paragraph 11 b (new)
11 b. Stresses that specific training on blue economy activities would contribute to awareness raising for marine ecosystems and the need to protect them;
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Points out that the call for proposals ‘Empowering youth in the EU Outermost Regions’ did not have the expected participation levels; defends an enlargement of the initiative to people up to the age of 30 and asks for the involvement of regional and local authorities in its promotion;
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Recalls that the ORs’ fishing fleet is old and obsolete; regretis, in certain cases, very degraded, which constitutes a danger for fishers and for the environment ; underlines the fact that the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) still does not support the renovation of fleets by covering the purchase of new vessels;
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17 a. Stresses the need to continue investing in the modernization of the traditional small-scale fishing fleet especially in solutions meant to improve safety and working conditions for fishers, to reduce CO2 emissions, and to improve storage and conservation conditions of the captures; highlights that these measures are crucial for the fisheries’ sector to be able to keep safely and securely providing healthy food, with less negative environmental impact and without increasing the capacity to catch fish;
Amendment 196 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Recalls that the Commission has pledged to write an interim report on the EMFAF chapter on the ORs and to analyse the ORs’ need for an autonomous regulation for fisheries; reiterates its appeal for the re-establishment of the POSEI fisheries scheme in 2027calls on the Commission to establish a specific financial operational programme for the fisheries sector in the ORs in 2027, similar in functioning to the POSEI programme;
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Stresses that the fishing and aquaculture sectors play a key role in the sustainable socio-economic development of the ORs, responsible for the creation of jobs and for the supply of a high nutritional value food;
Amendment 198 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Defends the importance of effectively compensating the ORs’ fishermens for their efforts to meet the Commission’s goal of protecting 30 % of the EU’s marine areas; considers that the marine protected areas should be a tool for reconciling the protection of habitats and ecosystems with the socio-economic viability of the fisheries' sector;
Amendment 200 #
19 a. Points out that defining protected marine areas has allowed local fishers to increase their income, leading to an increase in local employment in the fisheries’ sector and to an increase recreational activities, boosting opportunities for growth in sectors such as sustainable tourism; underlines that, if properly created, with due public consultation with local authorities and stakeholders, in particular fishers, the definition of these protected areas is fundamental for the protection and the recovery of species, as well as for the coastal sectors that depend on them1a; _________________ 1a https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank /en/document/IPOL_STU(2022)733087
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Stresses the role that the ORs could play in combating illegal fishing and ocean pollution; urges the Commission and the Member States, due to the impact of serious loss of marine biodiversity in the ORs, to take all necessary measures to address the causes of over-exploitation, pollution and climate change in the ORs, and to reform their sectoral policies accordingly;
Amendment 207 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20 a. Considers that due to their geographic position, the ORs have the ability to lead the blue economy in areas such as offshore renewable energy technologies, development of nature- based activities, like sustainable tourism, but also to help fisheries and aquaculture sectors become fully part of sustainable, resilient and safe food system;
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 b (new)
Paragraph 20 b (new)
20 b. Highlights the importance of collaborative, inclusive and cross-sectoral maritime spatial planning in the ORs that takes socioeconomic, environmental and biodiversity concerns into account;
Amendment 230 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Supports the creation of a POSEIspecific financial operational programme for the ORs transport, scheimilar to the POSEI programme, in order to tackle the rising costs resulting from insularity and remotenessremoteness and/or insularity; highlights that a derogation for the ORs regarding integrating maritime transport of goods and persons in the ETS system is fundamental; considers of an utmost importance the development of a EU strategy regarding mobility and transport in the ORs, taking into account the specificities of each OR;
Amendment 248 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Stresses the crucial role of sustainable tourism for the development of the ORs, which are highly exposed to externalitclimate change effects, natural disasters and health emergencies; urges the Commission to develop a truly European sustainable tourism policy and to launch further measures to promote the recovery of the sector;
Amendment 251 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27a. Calls on the Commission to set up a European Tourism Agency with antennas in each of the ORs’ geographical areas, thus drawing on the experience and dynamism of the sector in these regions for the benefit of the entire EU, in keeping with the Final Declaration of the 26th Conference of Presidents of the Outermost Regions of the European Union;
Amendment 262 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Regrets the fact that the specificities of the ORs have not been systematically taken into account in the ‘Fit for 55’ package; stresses that the EU's environmental objectives and targets need always to take into account the remoteness, isolation and/or insularity of the ORs, particularly with regard to the objectives on transport to and from each OR;
Amendment 272 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Underlines the ORs’ vulnerability to climate change effects, in particular to extreme weather events; defends the position, therefore, that the EU Solidarity Fund should be revised to enable it to respond to smaller-scale disasters and to include the costs associated with prevention, evacuation and the disruption of local economies in the event ofdisasters such as extended seismic activity, fires or floods;
Amendment 302 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Calls on the Commission to support regional and local authorities in designing and funding plans to attract and retain health professionals;
Amendment 327 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43 a (new)
Paragraph 43 a (new)
43 a. Regrets that the already small number of programmes, public policies and funds specific to the outermost regions have been disappearing in favour of their integration in horizontal European programmes, thus diluting the tailor-made approach needed for ORs;
Amendment 331 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43 b (new)
Paragraph 43 b (new)
43b. Suggests that the resources of the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund be mobilised to provide adequate support to Member States’ efforts in the area of migration, in particular to those Member States which are faced with specific and disproportionate pressures on their asylum and reception systems;
Amendment 334 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43 c (new)
Paragraph 43 c (new)
43c. Insists on the need for the EU to allocate specific funds to enable regions under greater migratory pressure, mainly those at the EU’s external borders, such as the outermost regions, to be able to cope with the reception and assistance of unaccompanied minors arriving on their territories, facilitating the relocation of these minors as soon as possible to the Member States and the rest of the EU if they have relatives elsewhere;