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Åbo Akademi contributes when EU moves forward with first-ever strategy for islands
Habitability, the innovative island-specific development framework, comes to use when preparing EU’s strategy for islands.
At the invitation of MEP Tonino Picula, ESIN Vice-Chair Ivan Matić has met with European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans Costas Kadis, to discuss the preparation of the EU’s first-ever Strategy for Islands.
ESIN stands for European Small Islands Federation.
This marks a historic step forward in recognizing the unique needs and opportunities of island communities. Commissioner Kadis confirmed that the strategy will be a stand-alone document, not merged with other EU strategies, which can be seen as a signal of its importance.
During the meeting, ESIN introduced Habitability, an innovative island-specific development framework. This approach uses indicators to provide a more accurate understanding of island realities and support sustainable development. The Habitability concept was developed on the island of Kökar on Åland, during the years 2018–2020 and further refined and brought out by the Archipelago Institute at Åbo Akademi University.
Commissioner Kadis emphasized that “reliable and comparable data must be one of the pillars of the future island strategy”. The Habitability concept is useful – a principle fully aligned with ESIN’s long-standing advocacy.
MEP Tonino Picula from Croatia is Vice-Chair of the SEArica intergroup in the European Parliament. SEArica unites Members of the European Parliament who share a commitment to elevating seas, oceans, and coastal challenges to the top of the European political agenda.
Picula underlined the importance of involving islanders themselves in shaping policies: “there are simply no better experts on island life than those who live it every day”.
Read more about the Habitability concept: abo.fi/habitability.
