Millions of people live on more than 4,000 inhabited islands across 16 EU member states.

Omissions

• The figure depends on the definition used: the Commission's count of 'more than 4,000 inhabited islands across 16 Member States' includes the three island Member States (Cyprus, Ireland, Malta); sources that exclude island Member States cite a lower figure (around 2,400 inhabited islands), which the speaker does not mention.
• The claim aggregates 'millions of people' but the specific Commission figure is around 17 million.

Sources

• PrimaryEuropean Commission – Regional Policy, 'Islands of the European Union – analytical overview of EU islands' (working paper)Across 16 Member States3, the EU has close to 27,000 islands, of which more than 4,000 are inhabited4, representing a total population of around 17 million.
• PrimaryEuropean Commission – Regional Policy newsroom, 'Commission presents first-ever EU strategies for islands and coastal communities'The EU is home to over 4,000 inhabited islands across 16 Member States—including the three island nations of Cyprus, Ireland, and Malta—where some 17 million people live.
• SecondaryInterreg Europe, 'New EU strategy supports the future of Europe's islands'Around 17 million people live on more than 4,000 inhabited islands across 16 EU Member States.