On the 12th and 13th of June 2025, Daniel Borg, Chief Executive Officer of the Gozo Business Chamber, represented the Chamber at the Board of Directors meeting of INSULEUR – the Network of the Insular Chambers of Commerce and Industry of the European Union. The meeting was hosted by the Chamber of Commerce of Mallorca, and brought together representatives from chambers across various EU islands including Greece, Malta, Sardinia, the Canary Islands, and the Balearic Islands.

The meeting served as an important opportunity to define a common strategy for INSULEUR for the coming period. On the first day, the Board of Directors met with Antoni Costa, Vice President of the Regional Government of Mallorca, to discuss shared and specific challenges facing island regions. The second day was dedicated to the development of a strategic framework for the network, supported by presentations from academic experts and representatives of regional institutions in Mallorca.

During the discussions, Daniel Borg outlined the particular challenges faced by Gozo, especially in terms of transport connectivity and the structural reliance on traditional sectors such as tourism. He stressed the importance of economic diversification to build greater resilience in island economies. He also remarked that, “since the European Commission is now explicitly referencing islands, the time is ripe for INSULEUR to continue advocating for specific island-targeted policies and instruments.”

Key issues discussed during the meeting included:

  • The evolving role of INSULEUR within the European institutional landscape;
  • The disproportionate impact of EU policies on island economies, particularly on small and micro enterprises (SMEs), in relation to connectivity with the mainland;
  • The need for a stronger and more formal recognition of double insularity in EU programmes and state aid frameworks.

The Gozo Business Chamber remains actively engaged in promoting the interests of Gozo within INSULEUR and will continue working with other insular regions to ensure that the unique challenges faced by islands are adequately addressed at European level.