The current legal expression of the concept Outermost Region is found at the
Articles 349 and 355 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
Nevertheless, its origin dates to the 1980s, also influenced by the Azores, by the
former President of the Government of the Autonomous Region of the Azores, João Bosco
Mota Amaral. Despite the thousands of kilometers that separate the ORs from the European
continent, they are part of the EU, representing the European presence in global
strategic areas. Among other documents, one should highlight the strategies implemented
by the EU in 2017 and 2022. In this article, it is proposed to analyse the relevance of
the ORs to the European Union, as dynamic actors, and partners, focusing mainly on the
Azores, whose presence and importance has been vital to its development in several
areas.