European Commission publishes first EU strategy for islands

The European Commission has published the EU strategy for islands (COM(2026)520 final), setting out actions across four pillars and specific implementation commitments for energy, connectivity, security and governance.

• Main announcement: The Commission publishes the first-ever EU strategy for islands covering all EU islands including island Member States (Cyprus, Ireland, Malta) and commits to actions such as extending the Clean energy for EU islands 2027-2030, launching an in-depth analysis on the cost of insularity, and inviting Member States to integrate island-specific measures into national plans. The strategy draws on 358 contributions to the March 2026 call for evidence and is accompanied by a Commission Staff Working Document (synopsis report).

• Background and concrete details: The Communication references existing and redirected funding: Member States allocated at least EUR 12.5 billion for island-targeted investments in 2021-2027; EUR 1.6 billion was redirected within cohesion policy for island-dedicated programmes; Horizon Europe net contribution to island regions ~EUR 4.2 billion; EIB support of at least EUR 7.3 billion (2023-2025) via loans, guarantees and advisory services. It lists specific implementation measures (e.g., grid interconnectors, onshore power supply for ports, PSOs for air/ferry services) and asks Member States to reflect island-specific needs in review processes (ETS, AFIR, FuelEU Maritime, GBER, RAG).