News

On Tuesday 16th of July, the Workshop "Towards the Blue Economy" took place at the "Università Politecnica delle Marche". The meeting was the occasion for researchers and prominent professors to present a report on the challenges and the opportunities of the Blue Economy which will be one of the core issue of the future Adriatic-Ionian Macro Region.

Besides other local authorities, the AII Secretary General welcomed the initiative and gave an update on the ongoing works of the AII Participating Countries with the EU Commission for the future "EU Strategy for the Adriatic Ionian Region".

As already anticipated by the Italian Contact Point for the Macro-Region, the results of the Workshop will be brought the attention of DG MARE of the EU Commission.

The second "Workshop on Maritime Affairs in the Adriatic Ionian Macro-Region" took place last 12th and 13th of June in Trieste.

The meeting had a wide audience of stakeholders and institutions. In particular it is to notice the participation of the Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, Maria Damanaki (by means of a video message), of the Italian State Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Marta Dassù, the Slovenian State Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Igor Sencar, the Croatian Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, Josko Klisovic and the Secretary General of the AII, Amb. Fabio Pigliapoco.

The involved stakeholders presented their proposals on how to reap the benefits of maritime activities in terms of employment, sustainable growth, accessibility and better quality of life in coastal area and discussed about "blue growth", sustainable and secure maritime transport, protection of the marine environment and fisheries.

The first Committee of Senior Official under Slovenian Chairmanship took place in Ljubljana on June 26.

The Programme of the activities of the Chairmanship and the AII Permanent Secretariat were presented together with the calendar of activities emphasizing the important role of the AII in the establishment of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic Ionian Macro-Region.

Furthermore, the Presidency gave an outlook over the present status of this process informing also about a letter by Commissioner Hahn in response to a message sent to him and other relevant Commissioners by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the EU member countries of the AII plus Croatia.

Finally, the Secretary General informed about the status of the Regional Cooperation Programme for co-financing cooperation projects among AII Participating States.

The XII edition of the Adriatic Ionian Forum of Chambers of Commerce took place in Brindisi between the 6th and the 8th of June. The programme was developed in three days and the works were organized in 6 different round tables (Environment, Agriculture, Female Entrepreneurship, fishing, transports and tourism).

The main focus of this year's edition has been "The Role of the Forum for the establishment of the Adriatic Ionian Macro-Region".

The participation to the event was quite wide with the presence of representatives of the European Union, of the Governments, local institutions, chambers of commerce and experts from all Adriatic Ionian Countries.

The AII Permanent Secretariat participated to the event with its Secretary General, Amb. Fabio Pigliapoco.

The Final Declaration of the XII of the Adriatic Ionian Forum of Chambers of Commerce is attached.