The Congress of the European Small Islands Federation (ESIN), organized by the Greek Network of Small Islands under the auspices of the President of the Hellenic Republic and in collaboration with the European Union, is now being held on the Greek island of Hydra. Apart from the administrative authorities of the some 1200 small European islands, the congress is being attended by delegates of EU institutions, national governments, the academic world, experts on island development and representatives of the banking and business sectors. Following the partial recognition in the EU Treaties and in the new EU Regulations of issues linked to insularity, the delegates will be called during the congress to debate the best way of benefiting from the financial opportunities provided by the Structural Funds and other Community programmes for the period 2007-2013: in particular, discussion will focus on services of general interest, infrastructure development policies, transport, management of water and marine resources, waste management, energy supplies, regional competition and development. The priority objectives of ESIN include the reinforcement – also political – of the Federation to be able to “count more” in Brussels.
