Europe comes to the aid of islands and mountains (part 1)

With the goal of "levelling up" in mind, nine Ultra-Peripheral Regions, or UPRs, have received €13 billion over the last seven years. Six of these UPRs are French. In the case of France, around 18 percent of the total EU Structural Funds goes to 3 percent of the population. On the face of it, that's a major boost for UPRs. But is that money being used optimally?

We went to see for ourselves in Guadeloupe, an archipelago nearly 7,000 kilometres from the French mainland. It is set to receive a billion euros from the EU in 2021-2027. Unemployment is around twice the national rate; a third of the population lives below the poverty line and water shortages are frequent. So why does more EU investment not necessarily translate into better living standards?

In the first part of the show, we travel to the fishing port of Sainte-Rose to meet Charly Vincent, who represents hundreds of fishermen and is a staunch supporter of small-scale, non-industrial fishing. We also interview the president of the Guadeloupe region, Ary Chalus, who sets out the benefits but also the limits of what EU funding can do.

Nearly two-thirds of water held in ageing pipes leaks before it reaches consumers. After years of neglect, the EU is contributing to major new efforts to improve the situation – but is it enough? FRANCE 24's roving Europe reporter Luke Brown meets people who have had enough of decades of bad management.

And with one in three locals under the age of 30 unemployed, what difference is the EU making? Luke Brown visits the St Jean Bosco school, which is giving hope to young people who feel they've been left behind by society.

>> Watch part two of the show

Show presented by Armen Georgian, produced by Johan Bodin, filmed on