From Isolation to Connectivity ? The views of the European Union on Mediterranean and Baltic Islands in the 20th and 21th Century

The article aims at analyzing the European Union’s policies in favour of Mediterranean and Baltic islands. After commenting on the parallel developments of EU regional policies and of academic Island Studies, the author looks at the B7 Baltic Islands Network and IMEDOC in the Mediterranean. According to what was determined by the Amsterdam Treaty, islands suffer from structural disadvantages that depend on their geographic position. Brussels’ action is directed to improve the connection of insular areas to the mainland, expecting that such improvement might help diminishing the disparities in economic development