PAPHOS, Cyprus (AP) — Improving transportation links, ending energy isolation and building more homes are some of the key initiatives the European Union’s executive arm is looking to enact under a pair of first-ever strategies designed to help the bloc’s islands and coastal communities flourish, EU officials said Friday.
Some 17 million people live in more than 4,000 islands across the EU, including three island members – Ireland, Malta and Cyprus. Another 95 million live along the coasts of 22 member states.
“Islands have been overlooked in the past, but now that comes to an end,” European Parliament Vice President Younous Omarjee told a conference on strengthening EU islands and coastal communities.
The strategies aim to do away with piecemeal approaches to overcoming the unique challenges that islands and coastal communities face, offering a comprehensive approach, said Raffaele Fitto, European Commission executive vice president for cohesion and reforms.
Given their distance from mainland markets and dependence on air and maritime connections, the costs for transport, housing and public services are much higher on islands than on the mainland.
“This is what we call the cost of insularity — a cost that millions of EU citizens and businesses pay every day, simply because of where they live and work,” Fitto said.
The strategy on islands is built around four pillars that aim to improve transportation links and digital infrastructure, tackle the effects of climate change and energy needs, address shrinking populations and housing shortages, and bolster security and crisis preparedness.
“From the Baltic to the Mediterranean, islands are on the front line of geopolitical challenges,” said Fitto.
There are currently no details on specific projects that will receive funding. That will come from member states themselves who will forward proposals once the bloc’s new budget is unveiled. Fitto said projects such as desalination plants and housing will be among the priorities.
Fisheries Oceans Commissioner Costas Kadis said EU coastal communities contribute some 265 billion euros ($302 billion) annually to the bloc’s budget but are also under strain from climate change, demographic decline, lack of affordable housing and difficult access to services.
The strategy on coastal communities aims to make them less reliant on a single source of revenue by diversifying economic activity and creating new jobs. Kadis said among the strategy’s proposals is a blue carbon credit program that would fund carbon-absorbing coastal wetlands, marshes and mangroves.
Other proposals include the OceanEye project that would make the EU a leader in ocean observation and research as well as promoting dual-use technologies and vessels that could be used for both fishing and tourism.
The strategy also aims to make coastal communities more resilient to climate change and extreme weather events through investments in collaboration with the European Investment Bank.
Malta's Prime Minister Robert Abela speaks during the high-level conference "Strengthening Islands and Coastal Communities of the European Union" in the southwestern coastal city of Paphos on the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)
Cyprus' President Nikos Christodoulides, center, Malta's Prime Minister Robert Abela, center left, pose for a family photo during the high-level conference "Strengthening Islands and Coastal Communities of the European Union" in the southwestern coastal city of Paphos on the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)
LONDON (AP) — Serena Williams will face an opponent less than half her age when she plays 20-year-old Maya Joint in the first round at Wimbledon for her first singles match in nearly four years.
The seven-time Wimbledon singles champion, who is 44, accepted a wild-card entry to the grass-court Grand Slam, where she’ll also compete in doubles with her older sister Venus, who turned 46 last week.
It's all part of a tennis comeback that started with two doubles warmup matches but kicked into high gear Sunday when the All England Club announced Serena would play singles. Brackets were set in Friday's draw.
Joint was born in Michigan — as was Williams — but represents Australia through her father. She is ranked No. 53 and made her Wimbledon debut last year, losing in the first round to Liudmila Samsonova 6-3, 6-2.
Joint won the grass-court Eastbourne Open last year for one of her two WTA tour-level singles titles.
Williams hasn't played a singles match since a third-round loss to Ajla Tomljanovic at the 2022 U.S. Open. At the time, she said she didn’t want to use the word “retiring” and instead declared she was “evolving” away from tennis. Her second daughter was born in 2023.
Tomljanovic said she hopes Joint “enjoys the moment."
“Especially after (Serena) officially retired four years ago, no one thought that they’d get another chance to play her,” Tomljanovic, an Australian, said Friday at Wimbledon.
Williams is “here to win," Tomljanovic added.
“You never lose that champion mentality. Her coming into the draw means that she thinks she can win,” she said.
Williams' most-recent appearance at Wimbledon was in 2022 when she lost in the opening round to then-115th-ranked Harmony Tan.
If Williams beats Joint on Tuesday, she may face rising Filipino star Alexandra Eala, who is seeded 29th, in the second round. She could meet defending champion Iga Swiatek in the third round.
Swiatek opens against Taylor Townsend of the U.S. on Centre Court on Tuesday.
In a projected quarterfinals by seedings, No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka would meet French Open champion Mirra Andreeva; No. 2 Elena Rybakina, the 2022 champion, would face 2025 runner-up Amanda Anisimova; Swiatek, the No. 3 seed, would play Elina Svitolina; and No. 4 Jessica Pegula would meet Coco Gauff.
On the men's side, No. 1 Jannik Sinner will begin his Wimbledon title defense against Miomir Kecmanovic on Centre Court on Monday.
Sinner and Novak Djokovic, the No. 7 seed, are in the same half of the draw and could meet in the semifinals.
Sinner underwent checks following his French Open meltdown — losing in the second round amid a heat wave in Paris — and said he felt physically good after an exhibition match this week in London, which also experienced high temperatures.
Djokovic, a seven-time champion at the All England Club, will play Wu Yibing of China. Djokovic could meet third-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime in the quarterfinals.
Two-time champion Carlos Alcaraz, who lost to Sinner in the 2025 final, will miss this year’s tournament because of a wrist injury.
Wimbledon starts on Monday.
The Williams sisters are wild-card entries in the women's doubles and will play their first-round match against Colombia's Camila Osorio and Solana Sierra of Argentina.
Serena and Venus have won 14 Grand Slam titles together in doubles, including six at Wimbledon — the first in 2000 and the last in 2016. Their first two doubles titles at the All England Club, in 2000 and 2002, came as wild cards.
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
FILE - Maya Joint of Australia hits a forehand to Iga Swiatek of Poland during their quarterfinal match at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft, File)
Novak Djokovic or Serbia attends a practice session ahead of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, in London, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Jannik Sinner of Italy smiles during a training session at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, ahead of the Wimbledon Championships in London, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Serena Williams of the United States holds a ball during a practice session ahead of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, in London, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Serena Williams of the United States arrives at a training session at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, ahead of the Wimbledon Championships in London, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Serena Williams of the United States smiles after a training session at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, ahead of the Wimbledon Championships in London, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
