The European Union Maritime Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Seas as the maritime strand of the EU macroregional Adriatic-Ionian strategy. A macroregional approach to the common challenges and opportunities

Venue: Esprit Nouveau Pavillon, Bologna (Italy)
Period: March 6-7, 2013

MARCH, 6TH IN THE AFETRNOON

14,00 Welcome coffee

14,30 Opening by Emilia-Romagna Region and AIE Secretariat

- Simonetta Saliera, Emilia-Romagna Vice President and Member of the Board in charge of European Affairs and Budget, COR ENVE Committee member – Adriatic-Ionian macroregional strategy as an effective and efficient context for a better governance of regional policy in Adriatic-Ionian territories.
- Angelo Michele Iorio, Adriatic-Ionian Euroregion President – Adriatic-Ionian Euroregion as a key tool to give a territorial dimension to the strategies for the Adriatic-Ionian territories.
- Gian Mario Spacca – Marche Region President and President of COR Adriatic-Ionian macroregional intergroup - CoR position on macroregional approach to environmental issues - t.b.c.
- Representative of European Commissioner DG MARE – The EC Communication 713/2012 A Maritime Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Seas: common challenges. A macroregional approach. t.b.c.
- Representative of European Parliament REGIO Committee – A path for a EP Resolution on the macroregional strategy for Adriatic and Ionian territories t.b.c.
- Andrea Vitolo, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Contact Point for A-I Macroregional Strategy – The macroregional strategy for Adriatic and Ionian territories: complexity aspects and the need for an integrated approach t.b.c.
- Italian Ministry of Environment Representative
- Fabio Pigliapoco, Adriatic-Ionian Initiative Secretary General t.b.c.

A round table will follow. AIE members will work to define a common position – with recommendations from the AIE members on Communication 713/2012 on the Maritime strategy from a local and regional point of view.
A CoR’s ENVE Committee representative, the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative Secretariat and Adriatic-Ionian Fora will take part to the debate.

– Conclusions: Sabrina Freda – Regional strategies for a sustainable territorial development in the Adriatic-Ionian territories. Towards an Adriatic-Ionian Euroregion strategic document on environmental and maritime policies with a bottom-up approach, to support the new EU Maritime strategy


MARCH, 7TH IN THE MORNING
Esprit Nouveau thematic session of the AIE thematic Committee on Environment

9,30 Opening and welcome by Emilia-Romagna Region and AIE Secretariat

- Sabrina Freda – Elaboration of a AIE Strategic document on environmental and maritime policies: proposal for a path. From the Thematic Report to the discussion and adoption of a AIE Political statement with recommendations on the EC Maritime Strategy – contribution to the DG MARE consultation.
- Voting on draft political statement with recommendations from AIE members and other agenda points

COFFEE BREAK

- Enrico Cocchi, Emilia-Romagna Region General Director Territorial Planning and European Affairs – European strategies from a regional point of view: multilevel governance as a key element for ownership and effectiveness. Methodological note.
- Giuseppe Bortone, Emilia-Romagna Region General Director Environment and Sustainable Development – Orienting Adriatic and Ionian Regions environmental planning and programming towards the Maritime Strategy for Adriatic and Ionians Seas. A proposal for an
AIE strategic Environmental Action Plan: A-I environmental priority areas and IPA CBC 2007/2013 strategic projects.
- Representatives of Chambers of Commerce Forum, Adriatic Cities Forum, UNIADRION

Round table to enable AIE members to work together on details of the IPA strategic project
- F. Cocco – Next AIE/AdriGov steps in relation to macro-regional processes

CLOSING OF THE SESSION

During the event, there will be a translation service available to and from Italian and English.

A new era is coming for the Adriatic and Ionian regions and cities to become part of the multilevel process for the definition of a European macroregional strategic framework, which will build up a new, more effective territorial cooperation governance pattern.

AdriGov project, financed in the framework of the IPA CBC 2007/2013 programme, aims at enabling Adriatic-Ionian Euroregion partners, and macro-area regions and cities, to debate and share a common position on the more innovative tools and aspects related to the macro-regional strategy.

AIE is a prominent network of regions and cities established in Pula in 2006, representing local and regional authorities coming from 7 Adriatic-Ionian States, with the aim to find out what the common challenges for the coming macro-region will be, on the basis of the needs of the populations and territories involved.

The AIE next thematic sessions, to be held in Bologna on March 6th and 7th, aims at leading the Adriatic-Ionian local and regional level of government to debate with European institutions and to adopt a common political position on the EU Maritime strategy for Adriatic and Ionian Seas, one of the hottest EU thematic policies for the whole Adriatic-Ionian macro-area; the AIE recommendations will merge as a sound contribution into the process for the definition of a wider macro-regional EC Action Plan for Adriatic and Ionian territories.