EU Commissioner for Regional Policy Johannes Hahn said on Wednesday that in order to be incisive, it would be necessary for the Adriatic-Ionian Macroregion to focus on only a few priorities and show strong political leadership. The commissioner, alongside Commissioner for Maritime Affairs Maria Damanaki, was presenting the action plan for the macroregion. The plan includes among its projects that of building the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) gas pipeline.
Eight countries – four from the EU (Italy, Croatia, Greece and Slovenia) and four non-EU (Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia) are involved, whose populations total 70 million inhabitants. The EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR) revolves around four thematic pillars: ‘blue growth’, energy connectivity, protecting the environment and sustainable tourism. It is the first macroregional strategy that includes a wide range of both EU and non-EU nations. The strategy is incorporated into the Maritime Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Seas, adopted by the Commission on November 30, 2012.
Maria Damanaki noted in presenting the action plan that maritime challenges faced in the region affect more than one nation and thus should be dealt with in a joint manner. Hahn underscored that cooperation between EU and its non-EU neighbors could play an important role in fostering the integration of the Western Balkans into the EU. The action plan identified aspects key to all four pillars, such as research and innovation, capacity building, focus on SMEs as well as attention to climate change and disaster risk management. The documents will now be sent to the European Parliament, the EU Council, the Committee of the Regions and the European Economic and Social Committee.
The strategy is subject to adoption by the European Council and could come into effect in the Italian six-month EU presidency. However, it is already in use for the purposes of planning structural funds to the EU and Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) funding for non-EU countries.
Source ANSAmed
