A real minister on the ground. Since his appointment as Minister Delegate in charge of the Overseas Territories on July 4, Jean-François Carenco has traveled the three ocean basins. Just after his return from New Caledonia, and before a new trip to Guyana, he gave a long interview to 20 minutes, on the eve of the second edition of the overseas economic conferences. It was enough, as the overseas territories are full of wealth, but also of difficulties.
We are on the eve of the end of year celebrations and family reunions. Ultramarines denounce rising air ticket prices (around 16.7% between France and the overseas territories since the start of the year, according to the latest index published in September by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation) to return to their territories. Some plead for a tariff shield or a resident tariff, as for Corsica. Will the ministry and the government engage in discussions with the airlines?
As with all destinations, there are major difficulties in air service to overseas territories. Like you, I have noticed an increase in plane tickets. I asked my colleague Clément Beaune, Minister in charge of Transport, to measure the intensity of this increase by territory. This will make it possible to check whether the current responses are still adapted to the needs and, if necessary, to consider adjustments or additional measures.
For the purchase of plane tickets, state support mechanisms are put in place with Ladom, the public establishment for assistance with territorial continuity. The State covers part of the ticket price for eligible Ultramarines (students, professionals in training, etc.). These amounts were revalued in 2021 and are fixed by territory. Its budget will increase by 8 million euros.
But we must not forget that, behind the effort on plane tickets, there is also all the work done to save overseas airlines which are in great difficulty. Take Air Austral. The State, together with investors from Reunion and the regional council, has drawn up a recovery plan for the company. If we help the shareholders of Air Austral to carry out its restructuring, it must help us with prices. I intend to do the same with Air France, whose director I will meet before mid-December. We also have difficulties with Corsair and Air Guyane. Finally, there is the subject of freight assistance, the funds for which are not fully spent. It is a very complicated procedure between the State and the regions. I have therefore decided to review this policy for the benefit of companies. I also hope that the price of kerosene will come down.
The State announced on November 22 that it would release an envelope of 10 million euros for student food aidand an scholarship reform is currently being discussed as part of the consultation on student life. In these areas, will special attention be paid to overseas students, who have been strongly impacted by the health crisis and the resulting travel restrictions?
These ten million represent the equivalent of 300,000 food parcels. It will of course concern students from the “French archipelago and Guyana”. The scholarship system has already seen recent improvements [attribution de points de charge supplémentaires pour faciliter l’accès aux bourses des étudiants ultramarins], the situation of overseas students is also addressed during these consultations. Similarly, territorial consultation will of course be organized in the overseas academies. I will closely follow the results of these consultations and we will be there for the follow-up to be given.
Mayotte is in the throes of violence at the moment. The Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, has announced that he will go there for the New Year. Are you going to accompany him?
No. I am going to Guyana. He goes to Mayotte. Together, we multiply the action of the State in the overseas territories.
Let’s stay in spite of everything in Mayotte, where the unemployment rate (30%) is the highest in France…
Yes, but it is also the one that is falling the most in France [selon l’Insee, un point culminant de 35 % a été atteint au 2e trimestre 2018]. That’s why I’m making it a political priority! In Mayotte, Gérald Darmanin tackled security and immigration issues head-on, with a focus on resources and regulations.
But I would like that, alongside that, we talk about what is being done in Mayotte, such as the construction of the hospital, the plan for renovating school buildings and the potential of this department, particularly in terms of tourism, business creation, innovation…
During the meeting of elected officials from overseas, Monday, November 21, ahead of the 104th Congress of Mayors of France, you said “to make housing a personal priority”. According to the Court of Auditors, 80% of the overseas population is eligible for social housing. However, only 15% of Drom households benefit from it…
I repeat, it is a priority. The subject of overseas housing is one of the topics on which we discussed with elected officials during the working meeting organized by Emmanuel Macron, on September 7, at the Elysée. There is a real land problem, because an island is by nature a limited territory. It is even more limited due to climate change and the problems of coastal flooding, but also due to the rules for preserving biodiversity. And that’s normal, you can’t build just anywhere. I recently organized the conference of overseas social landlords, where I was able to collect the irritants and blocking points on priority themes: freeing up developed land, simplifying the act of building, controlling construction costs and have housing offers adapted to the challenges of aging and climate change.
the BQP (price quality shield) is, since 2012 and the “Lurel” law, a selection of products (mainly concerning hygiene and food) whose price is set each year by prefectural decree. It would allow, depending on the territory, a price reduction of 20% of the price of the shopping basket. Shortly after your appointment, you planned to extend it to 5% of everyday consumer products, including services such as telephone and Internet subscriptions, and to review the price. Where are you today?
The new BQP [le BQP+] will be presented on December 8 and will be much more interesting for the consumer. For all territories, the number of products that make up the basket will increase. It will also be extended to areas other than food, such as telephony, DIY, automobiles. Above all, major distributors will commit to ensuring that products sold overseas are sold at the same price as those in mainland France. [hors coût du fret].
Beaches which are disappearing in particular in Wallis-and-Futuna, the sargassum in the West Indies, the equatorial forest in Guyana, endangered species (fauna and flora)… The exceptional biodiversity of the Overseas Territories is in danger. How will the government support its territories in the face of the challenges of climate change?
The perception of overseas must change. It can no longer be reduced to that of remote territories, subject to social and climatic crises, rooted in underdevelopment. In reality, the overseas territories are ahead of their time, because, by their geography and their history, they are at the crossroads of the greatest challenges of the planet, whether demographic, environmental, health, agricultural or economic. The overseas territories have considerable experience, know-how and assets to build and promote innovative responses to these challenges. The overseas territories will be fully integrated into the preparation of the major UN summit on the oceans that France wants to host in 2025, to promote these unique experiences.
But let’s talk about the considerable contribution of oceanic France [les outre-mer], in favor of the fight against global warming. Announced by the President of the Republic during his trip in July 2021, Polynesia received, for example, the energy transition fund, a significant allocation over 4 years, up to 60 million from the State, to accelerate the decarbonization of energy production.
Finally, we are in the process of organizing ourselves to draw up an inventory of the damage already suffered by the overseas territories. The rise in sea level is already leading us in Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon to prepare for the relocation of the village of Miquelon, which is subject to high risks of submersion.
Regarding the file chlordeconedo you understand that anger rumbles after the announcement of a possible dismissal in the investigation into the poisoning in the West Indies, partly because of the prescription of the facts? This eventuality had already aroused indignation and anger in the West Indies, particularly in Martinique where 5,000 to 15,000 people had marched through the streets of Fort-de-France at the end of February 2021. A movement has already been announced on December 10, on the eve chlordecone meetings, by the collective Lyannaj Pou Dépolyé Matinik.
A member of the government does not comment on court decisions. He respects them. And I call on everyone to respect them.
I can nevertheless say that, under the initial impetus of the President of the Republic, who solemnly acknowledged, and for the first time, that the State would take its share of the responsibility in the environmental chlordecone scandal, strong progress has been made . Like the recognition of prostate cancer as an occupational disease. Even if there is still a lot to do, the first annual report of the plan published on November 4, shows progress, such as the deployment of the compensation fund for pesticide victims, the implementation for all of free analyzes of chlordecone in the blood and accompanying devices to identify and reduce the sources of exposures. Just like the implementation of free soil analyzes for farmers and individuals.
Last question: what is your priority today?
Create value, develop businesses, otherwise young people will have no future. If they have no future, either they become delinquents, or they leave, or they are unemployed for life, which is just unthinkable. We must give our overseas youth the opportunity to be educated with dignity, so that they develop their territories with pride.