Development of sea basin cooperation in the Adriatic and Ionian Seas Regional

DG MARE Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (European Commission) - Project Dates:
March 2013 - February 2014

Description of Project:
The EU has set clear objectives for the region. In 2011, with the onset of the Arab Spring,focus has been re-directed towards building a Partnership for democracy and Shared Prosperity with the Southern Mediterranean, based on comprehensive institution building, dialogue on migration, mobility and security, and further sectoral cooperation, notably in the fields of environment, transport, energy, employment. etc. The IMP actions being taken forward in the Mediterranean are aimed in a first instance at EU Member States in the region. However, there is general consensus amongst all coastal States that an integrated maritime policy for the region cannot be developed on one side of the basin only. Effective bridges need to be created across maritime sectors, administrations, stakeholders and societies to achieve further innovative, growth and job creation. The Commission Communication on improving governance in the Mediterranean adopted in 2009 was the starting point of this process.

Services Provided:

Identifying the blue growth needs and potential of the Mediterranean countries by providing a thorough breakdown of these countries' marine and maritime sectors making up their blue economy and related scenarios for growth, both in the context of the Europe 2020 Strategy and preparations for EU funding programmes for 2014-2020.

2. Assessing the potential for policy and project-based cooperation in the Mediterranean region in the light of the different and rather specific contexts as outlined above.