Welcome to the European Parliamentary Research Service podcasts.

In this podcast, we'll travel to the outermost regions of the EU

to discover the specific challenges and opportunities they face

and see what kind of support they get from the EU.

Want to join us?

Three EU member states, France, Spain and Portugal, have part of their territory in areas of

the globe which are far away from Europe.

They certainly enjoy better weather and make us dream of exotic holidays.

But for people living in the Canary Islands in Martinique, Mayotte or Madeira, life can sometimes be a bit more

complicated than for citizens living in mainland Europe. Due to their remoteness and difficult

topography, the EU's nine outermost regions face very specific challenges to their development. First,

there's the high living costs derived from having to import

most of the products, but also mobility challenges, high unemployment rates and social exclusion,

economic dependency on a few products and limited market competition. And energy is another obstacle.

As highlighted by the European Parliament, their geographical isolation

makes them more dependent on fossil fuels.

And the digital divide between them and mainland Europe

is also hampering their development and competitiveness.

And let's not forget the effects of climate change,

notably rising sea levels,

for which they are especially vulnerable.

That's right, but regardless of the distance that separates them from the mainland,

...