France is a poor performer when it comes to cohesion in Europe and is marked by growing regional inequalities, despite being allocated a whopping €18 billion in EU cohesion funding for 2021-2027. Numerous regions risk falling into a "development trap": after a period of growth, they stagnate or even decline, having invested in sectors with little long-term potential. In this first part of the show examining EU cohesion policy, we're on the French island of Corsica.

Demographic growth, but economic lethargy 

Corsica has a population of 260,000. To counter the disadvantages that come with being an island, the European Union has allocated €117 million in cohesion funding between 2021 and 2027. Corsica has a strong identity and distinct culture within France, but its challenge is to develop and innovate without relying too heavily on tourism. We meet those who are driving change on the Isle of Beauty.

For example, the EU financed the acquisition of special tanks to help fight the forest fires that have ravaged the island in recent years. Armen Georgian interviews Captain Stéphane Gherardi from the Corsican Fire and Rescue Service. We also visit INRAE, the National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment – where the iconic Corsican clementine fruit reigns supreme – alongside Marie-Antoinette Maupertuis, president of the Corsican Assembly.

We then head to the Stella Mare platform, which specialises in marine and coastal engineering. We learn how to handle endangered sea urchins with Emmanuelle de Gentili, the first deputy mayor of the city of Bastia. She is concerned that a planned centralisation of EU funds will sideline Corsica and undermine its ability to attract the kind of projects that it needs.

In our reports:

• Renaud Lefort analyses the impact of European funds on economic growth and highlights the challenges of using those funds effectively in Corsica.

   

• Luke Brown looks at the renovation of public lighting in Corsica, with 52,000 light points financed by the EU. Better lighting also means a clearer night sky, as Corsica seeks to obtain the International Dark Sky Reserve (IDSR) label.

Editor-in-Chief: Caroline de Camaret

Presented by Armen Georgian

Visual direction, Camera: Stéphane Bodenne et Renaud Lefort

Reports: Luke Brown et Renaud Lefort

Special thanks to Emergency Response Service (Upper Corsica), Bastia Tourist Office, Simone Riolacci (INRAE), Laura Casanova, Sylvain Alessandri (Corsica Tourist Office), Paula Monestié-Andreani (Stella Mare).

"Europe Rendezvous" is a magazine programme broadcast on FRANCE 24 in French and English, on YouTube and on france24.com.

Watch moreWarning: French regions at risk! Part 2: Creuse