News

The SUNBEAM project, submitted in the framework of the Erasmus Mundus Programme - Action 2 Strand 1 - Call for Proposals EACEA/18/13, has been selected for funding by the European Commission. The projectis led by the Università Politecnica delle Marche, will have a duration of 48 months and a budget of about 3 million €. The AII Permanent Secretariat is associated partner in the project.

The activities will be implemented by a partnership of Universities mainly belonging to the Uniadrion network (Virtual network of universities of the Adriatic-ionian basin). They consist in the organization and implementation of a structured mobility of students, academic and administrative staff.

The reinforcement of the Uniadrion network is one of the objectives on the project that will focus on the fields of interest already shared by the network's members: protection, cataloguing and promotion of cultural heritage; environment and sustainable development; cultural tourism and development; communication, ports and economic relations.

The aim of the project in the short to medium term is to strengthen and consolidate academic cooperation among Higher Education Institutions of the Adriatic-Ionian area. The network of relations to be created thanks to mobility flows will represent the academic and cultural infrastructure of the future Adriatic-Ionian Macro-region.

The long-term target is to establish a platform for sharing educational paths in order to implement joint programmes for the awarding of joint titles among the universities in the countries of the area and to create an adequate scientific background for the Adriatic-ionian macro-region.

The first Committee of Senior Officials of the Adriatic and Ionian Initiative was held last 17 June in Sarajevo. The new Chairman, Amb. Ivan Orlic, presented the program and the priorities of the Chairmanship that also this year are strictly linked with the EUSAIR priority pillars which is going to be approved by next autumn.

Great attention was also given to the damages and the consequences of the catastrophic floods that hit Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Croatia. All AII Contries have given support and solidarity in different forms to the people of the Region.

The CSO was also the occasion to present the Project “Adriatic Model of Sustainable Mobility in the Health & Care Sector” funded by the EU funding program IPA-CBC and led by the Federal Ministry of Health of BiH.

The working day was concluded by the cultural event “Sarajevo , a port with no sea – music, tales and songs” with the participation of Moni Ovadia and Minka Muftic which was a preview of the Adriatic Mediterranean Festival that will take place in Ancona at the beginning of September. 

The Communication on the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region, accompanied by its Action Plan, has been adopted by the European Commission on 17 June last.

Both documents are available on the following link http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/cooperate/adriat_ionian/documents_en.cfm#1 .

The Communication and the Action plan will be discussed in the Council with a view of its endorsement by the European Council during the Italian presidency (second semester of 2014). After this, the implementation period will formally start.

The AII Permanent Secretariat notes with satisfaction that the Communication of the Commission attaches great relevance to the work done by the AII mentioning, as the first beneficial element to the Strategy,

"the experience over more than a decade of the inter-governmental Adriatic-Ionian Initiative. Successful cooperation has already created strong links between participating countries, and spin-off regional co-operation between cities, chambers of commerce and universities"

On the occasion of the opening Day of the AII Chairmanship of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( June 2014 - May 2015) , the Secretary General of the Adriatic and Ionian Initiative , Amb. Fabio Pigliapoco , was received by the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina , H.E. Vjekoslav Bevanda , at the Seat of the Federal Government .
The meeting , which took place before the first Committee of Senior Officials of AII ( Ministries of Foreign Affairs ) under BiH Presidency , offered the opportunity of a comprehensive exchange of wievs on the Goals and Program of the new Chairmanship , after the good results obtained during the year of the Albanian Presidency ,just ended .
The scope of last February Athens AII Ministerial meeting , which solemnly confirmed the Adriatic and Ionian Initiative as the " intergovernmental anchorage " of the AII , was highlighted and highly appreciated . The Athens Declaration represents - according to both - a milestone in the life of the Organization which is now fully engaged in the macroregional process . The Permanent Secretariat will continue in the action of support of the AII rotating Presidency in full cooperation with the European Commission.
The Goverrnment of Bosnia and Herzegovina is perfectly aware that the period of its Presidency , coinciding with the first semester of the Italian Presidency of the EU and with the approval of the Strategy by the European Council by the end of the Year , will be of particular significance and crucial for the future developments of the Adriatic and Ionian macroregion. Therefore all the ordinary intergovernmental Round Tables of AII during BiH Presidency will be focussed and oriented to contribute to the macroregional process.
The involvment of civil society in the continuation of the process and , even more , in the implementation phase of it , will be encouraged and stimulated , as much as a closer cooperation with National Parliaments as decided in Tirana by the Speakers of Parliaments of AII participating Countries last April.