Madeira News Blog

Centopeia / Centipede … the biting kind.

From Paul :

“A united Europe is not a uniform Europe” Internal Market Commissioner Michel Barnier says The outermost regions are important parts of the EU, despite their distance from mainland Europe.  Reuters reports: “Times are hard in distant corners of the European Union, even when the sun is shining and the euro zone’s debt problems are thousands of miles away…”. “Leaders of nine regions on the edges of the EU are asking the rest of the 27-country bloc to pay more attention to their needs and shape investment policies better to their problems, exacerbated in some cases by the global economic crisis.”

image caption : EU Internal Market Commissioner Michel Barnier

The first Forum for Outermost Europe. “The voices of territories as far away as the Indian Ocean and South America are rarely heard at the heart of the EU. So leaders from these regions, the most distant of which was the island of Reunion, a French territory about 9,000 km (5,640 miles) from Brussels, took the chance offered by the first Forum for Outermost Europe. The leaders said EU support should be better tailored to their specific needs and their efforts to strengthen their traditional economic sectors, boost competitiveness and develop entrepreneurship.” “Rather than demanding more funding, they want more flexible and better targeted funding to suit the problems they face such as remoteness, insularity, small size, difficult topography and climate, and economic dependence on a few products.” link to full article:

Euractiv.com reports : The European Union now has nine outermost regions (ORs).
With the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, the European Union now has nine outermost regions(ORs): the four French overseas departments (Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Réunion and Martinique), two French overseas collectivities (Saint Barthélemy and Saint Martin), the autonomous regions of Portugal (the Azores and Madeira) and the Spanish Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands.

Since 1999 the European Union has recognised the special situation of the outermost regions (their insularity, remoteness, small size and economic dependence) in relation to the other European regions.

On Euractiv.com it states: Barnier himself has argued that he has a longstanding bond with these ‘ultrapériphériques (ultra-peripheral)’ regions, both as a former EU commissioner for regional policy and as a forceful backer of Article 349 of the Lisbon Treaty, which gave special recognition to the ORs’ status. Regional Policy Commissioner Hahn described Barnier as an "expert and friend" to the nine regions.

Outermost regions worst hit by crisis. Barnier noted that this was a particularly difficult time for the ORs, given that the global economic crisis had hit the EU’s weakest regions particularly hard. This point was echoed repeatedly by politicians from the nine regions (see ‘Positions’).

The French commissioner outlined a number of other key factors that could potentially hamper the regions’ ongoing development. These include the upcoming EU budget review, which could be "tough" on the ORs if they failed to maintain the same level of funds; the ongoing global trade negotiations, which without a "positive income" could severely impact on the ORs’ economic productivity; and the simple fact that in the enlarged EU, it is more difficult for the ORs to make their presence felt, given that they are represented by three out of 27 countries as opposed to three out of 15.

image caption  : João Cunha e Silva, Vice-President of the Regional Government of Madeira

Euractiv.com reports that:

João Cunha e Silva, vice-president of the Regional Government of Madeira, called for "differentiation" in the EU’s approach to the ORs. "EU decision-makers must ensure that their policies are specific to us," he argued, adding that Article 349 of the Lisbon Treaty already specifies that this is the case.
Without differentiation, "EU policies will do more harm than good," he claimed, adding that the adaptation of EU rules to the ORs’ unique situation was the key "lever for development". "Our natural limitations are permanent," he said, and concluded that mere "increased in GDP won’t make these go away". link to full article:

Internal Market Commissioner Michel Barnier said: “I hope that this day marks a turning point in the evolution of the relationship between the EU and these regions, which are still perhaps too unknown and misunderstood on the European continent”.

Everything else from Elaine :

Celebrity Eclipse in new Funchal terminal. Funchal Daily Photo has four images of the recently opened maritime station. This was the first test of the workability of the station when 2,217 British tourists and 1,213 crew passed through and the overall results were positive. HERE

Madeira 2010, day 1, a walk in Prazeres. Called Not a Photo Diary but don’t be fooled. Photo/text record of five days of levada walking and a visit to the sugar cane factory in Calheta. Photographic evidence of landslides affecting the levadas. HERE

Satellite-linked Tagging of Porbeagle Sharks. Scientists at the Marine Institute, Galway, are working with anglers around Ireland to study the migration and diving behaviour of porbeagle sharks (Latin name – Lamna nasus) in the northeast Atlantic. Porbeagle sharks are one of the top marine predators around Ireland, but very little is known about their movement patterns in the northeast Atlantic….One shark, a juvenile male, migrated over 2400 km to Madeira off the west coast of Morocco during the wintertime. HERE

News from Diário de Notícias and Jornal da Madeira

WEDNESDAY JUNE 2nd

FRONT PAGE NEWS

Ronaldo promotes Madeira in Spain. Cristiano Ronaldo is going to be the face of the new campaign promoting Madeira as a holiday destination to the Spanish. This is after several years of delayed or inconclusive negotiations because of disagreements with the company that manage his career or other commitments. Ronaldo will provide his services for free this summer. There is currently a lack of demand in the Spanish market because of economic difficulties in Spain. It is hoped that the appeal of Cristiano Ronaldo is persuasive and enhances the appeal of Madeira as a summer holiday destination.

Update in Thursday’s newspaper. Use of the photo of Ronaldo would normally cost 2 million euros. His image will only be used in Madrid with another strategy for the rival city Barcelona. The 663,000 euros investment in promoting Madeira in Spain will be repeated in the UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and France.

ECONOMY

More ferry trips. The summer schedule for the Lobo Marinho came into force yesterday with the Porto Santo Line increasing the number of sailings between Madeira and Porto Santo. In the next four months there should be a total of 282 trips, four more than in the same period last year. This month there will be 62 round trips, 68 in July, a record 88 in August and 64 in September. The ship will now sail on Tuesdays. There are time-table amendments to cater for the increased demand when many Madeirans take mini-vacations during public holidays (June 3rd and June 10th). Yesterday was Children’s Day and for the celebrations, the Porto Santo Line provided travel for 600 children at the nominal sum of 5 euros.

THURSDAY JUNE 3rd

FRONT PAGE NEWS

230 married couples want new social housing. A family of 17 complain that they live in an overcrowded T4 (four bedroom apartment) in bairro da Nogueira. The president of the public company that manages more than 4,500 homes subsidized by the Regional Government reminds tenants that family planning is their responsibility and not the taxpayers. Every year, 10 – 20 families who are tenants of IHM (Housing Investment in Madeira) are placed in new social housing. People are only rehoused for serious situations such as overcrowding, loss of mobility or family conflicts. 230 tenants want a new home after marrying and having children. The T4 accommodating 17 originally belonged to a mother of seven and three generations are now living there. Her married daughters and grandchildren are living at home whilst her two sons have emigrated to England. Her daughters say they cannot rent as their income is equivalent to the minimum wage. One daughter with her three children tried to occupy a neighbouring apartment that was designated to other tenants and the police had to intervene. The president of IHM acknowledges that overcrowding exists in some of the 344 homes in Nogueira, the second largest social housing neighbourhood in Madeira after Nazaré (1,400 apartments). He believes that families cannot be dependent on government assistance and must use alternative support programs. IHM house 11% of the population of Madeira or 26,000. Demolition of the 60 dilapidated homes in the south of Nogueira, known as the ‘Malvinas’, is underway. Some empty properties have been vandalised and are used for the consumption of illegal drugs but will soon be demolished. Families are being rehoused in the northern part of the estate, after the apartments have been repaired, to give them better living conditions and for the new strategy of social integration.

MADEIRA

Protest against the council closes street in Santa Cruz. A street in Santa Cruz, next to a building in a stage of litigation, was closed off by the 71 year old developer of the building in protest at the slowness of the council and the tribunal in resolving the dispute. He has placed concrete blocks at the entrance of Rua da Ponte Nova to block transit until the council grant a licence of habitability. The street is used by the public to access the building that was granted a licence by the previous council for mixed use – commercial, services and housing. There was a dispute with a neighbour and the Administrative Court in Funchal in 2007 ordered the demolition of the seven-storey building  but the developer appealed to the Supreme Court. The council is investigating the matter. The developer said he has lost too much money over the past five and a half years while waiting for an outcome. He emigrated from South Africa to invest in Madeira and has lost business opportunities and has had to make people redundant.

ECONOMICS

Journeys of Aquila in new book. The Madeira Story Centre museum for its fifth anniversary will receive Norman Hull, a former official of the old British Aquila Airways. He will present his latest book, Aquila to Madeira, The Story of Flying Boats to Funchal. The story refers to the time when the company’s seaplanes flew to the Port of Funchal. The company had a regular line of flying boats that directly linked Britain to Madeira in the 1940s and 1950s. Norman Hull will give the museum a plaque in memory of the 36 passengers and crew of the seaplane CS – THB "Porto Santo" that disappeared on the 9th November 1958. Aquila Airways was formed in 1948 by Barry T. Aikman who believed there was a future for seaplanes operating to destinations where it was not possible to arrive by plane. The event takes place on June 4th between 11.00 and 12.30 at Madeira Story Centre, Rua D. Carlos I, 27/29 in Funchal.

FRIDAY 4th JUNE

FRONT PAGE NEWS

SATA requirements threaten Porto Santo.  In terms of the tender in 2007, SATA airlines was required to fly four times a day and ensure the availability of 153,600 seats per year between Madeira and Porto Santo. The compensation from the State for providing this public service was set at 2.6 million euros for three years as the operating deficit would be 1.7 million euros. The occupancy would have to be 68.7% or 105,000 passengers. The number of passengers has steadily decreased from 119,311 in 2004 to 60,987 last year (39.7%). SATA currently uses the Bombardier Dash airplane with a capacity of 37 passengers. The load factor has been 38.6% this year and the contract ends in August. The State needs reasons from the Regional Government (Regional Secretary for Tourism) for continuing the subsidy. The cost of this flight path is expensive and 28.1% of the ticket price is for airport charges.

166 candidates for 4 nature warden vacancies. A surprising demand for employment in the Natural Park of Madeira. The present 34 staff are insufficient for the protected areas and nature reserves and for conservation, preservation and education projects. The Serviço do Parque Natural da Madeira (SPNM) is now accessible on Facebook  (HERE). There are photographs of the Reservas Naturais das Ilhas Desertas e Selvagens e do Sítio da Rocha do Navio, Reserva Parcial do Garajau, Rede de Áreas Marinhas do Porto Santo, Parque Natural and the Centro de Informação do Serviço (Núcleo dos Dragoeiros – São Gonçalo). There are daily updates with news and information.

400 questions ‘attack’ development societies. The Socialist Party has 400 questions for the Vice-President, João Cunha e Silva, and the Legislative Assembly. Socialists are concerned about the effects of the limits on access to borrowing by the Region on publicly funded projects. They question the results of ‘megalomanic works’ in parishes with a low population – restaurants and bars without customers. 650 million euros of projects have been implemented over the past ten years and the Socialists want these projects scrutinized. The big problem will start in 2012 when the Region will have to pay the debts owed for the projects of the Social Democrats. How will the companies generate revenue, meet financial commitments and generate employment? These questions need to be asked to solve the problems. The Socialists say the future is bleak: from 2012, for the next 10 years, each Madeirense will pay 280 euros, around 70 million euros, more than 5% of the total budget of Madeira. In addition, the Social Democrats are now responsible for managing over 700 million euros for the reconstruction following the storms of February.

MADEIRA

Lobo-marinho found dead on the north coast. A seal was found dead last Wednesday at Arco de São Jorge. The seal was identified as ‘Bi-risca’, one of the most fertile females in the breeding colony of Desertas. The body was removed with difficulty due to accessibility and taken to the Whale Museum in Caniçal for an autopsy to ascertain the cause of death. In 1988, the Region began to conserve the Lobo-marinho when there were only 6 specimens which have now grown to a colony of nearly four dozen ”Monachus monachus’ das Desertas. This is an endangered species as there are only about 500 individuals around the world.

More than 4,400 euros in aid to the region. Ângela Oliveira teaches Zumba, an activity that was created in 1996 and combines Latin dances with fitness. On May 1st, she presented a zumbathon, a three hour street show in London with 300 participants, which raised 3,700 pounds for three charities. She has been on vacation to Madeira to choose the charities. They all involve working with children, two preferring to remain anonymous and the other one is Criamar – Associação de Solidariedade Social para o Desenvolvimento e Apoio a Crianças e Jovens. The Associação e pelo Abrigo de Nossa Senhora da Conceição will receive a monthly donation. Ângela Oliveira was born in Mozambique and holds a Portuguese passport. She was shocked by the images of the storm of February 20th and wanted to help the region.

Spring Baskets yield 49,000 euros. This promotional campaign began in 2009 at the Sunday markets held in Santana, Prazeres and Canhas. Customers receive a raffle ticket for 5 euros of purchases of regional fruit and vegetables. In 11 Sundays, there were 9,808 tickets for 49,000 euros of purchases in the three Mercado dos Agricultores. The farmers/sellers have donated 12 baskets (4 per market) containing fruit and vegetables and homemade bread, honey and jams. Six were distributed on May 2nd and the next draw will be on the 6th June at all three markets.

CULTURE

Meeting of cultural groups. Takes place from 20.30 this Saturday (5th June) and from 16.00 on Sunday, opposite the church of São Roque do Faial. This event is organized by the local Casa do Povo and 26 groups with 500 participates will perform this year. The theme is Popular Culture and the aim is to show that culture exists in the northern county of Santana. The event is unique because of the diversity of groups taking part, from the theatre, tunas, folklore, choirs, dance and bands. Program:

Many thanks to Tobi (photo), Paul and Elaine for sending in a contribution(s) for this blog.

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