Opinion of the Committee of the Regions — EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR)
Date: 2014-06-26
Institutions: European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: Adriatic Sea, Ionian Sea, Mediterranean region (EU), economic development, maritime area, regional cooperation, regional development, social development, sustainable development








C_2014271EN.01004001.xml










19.8.2014   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 271/40





Opinion of the Committee of the Regions — EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR)
2014/C 271/08







Rapporteur



Gian Mario Spacca (IT/ALDE), President of the Marche Region





Reference document



COM(2014) 357 final
SWD(2014) 190 final
SWD(2014) 191 final




I.   POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS






1.


welcomes the European Council conclusions of December 2012, calling on the Commission to present an EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR) by the end of 2014. This decision had been recommended in the CoR own-initiative opinion on Cooperation in the Mediterranean through the Adriatic-Ionian macro-region, adopted on 11 October 2011 (1);










2.


agrees with the definition of macro-regional strategies as integrated frameworks endorsed by the European Council relating to Member States and third countries in the same geographical area addressing common challenges and providing solutions through strengthened cooperation for economic, social and territorial cohesion (2);






EU integration and the external dimension








3.


welcomes the EUSAIR proposal including four EU countries (Croatia, Greece, Italy and Slovenia) and four non-EU countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia) and making a major contribution to European integration of the candidate/potential candidate countries in the region. An EU integration component offers relevant added value in this macro-regional strategy (3);










4.


stresses the aspects of reconciliation, security and stability in the Adriatic and Ionian Region through cooperation with other non-EU countries, which could be included in this macro-region in the future; in this respect, underlines the role of regional and local authorities as front row players promoting democracy, decentralisation, greater local regional self –government and capacity building;










5.


notes that the Adriatic-Ionian strategy could be the opening salvo of a more integrated approach and strategy involving the whole Mediterranean basin, as underlined by the EP (4);










6.


notes that ARLEM (the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly) also calls for a macro-regional approach for the whole Mediterranean basin resulting from the development of three integrated macro-regional areas — the Western Mediterranean, the Adriatic-Ionian, and the Eastern Mediterranean (5);






Multi-level governance








7.


agrees with the General Affairs Council conclusions of October 2013 on the need to review the governance systems of macro-regions, and welcomes the report published by the European Commission on 20 May 2014 and the Commission’s Communication concerning the European Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region of 17 June 2014; furthermore shares the Council’s view concerning the importance of responsibility and ownership by the countries concerned, which requires a strengthening of the relevant regional and local actors as well as clear and long-term commitment by stakeholders (6), and moreover, calls for the regional authorities and the Committee of the Regions to be more involved in the coordination phase, in order to support the European Commission, as well as in the implementation phase; agrees, in this regard, that the action plan should provide a structure based on coordinators coming from the ministries concerned for each pillar, and underlines that they may also come from regional governments;










8.


underlines the need for smart coordinated governance with four interlinked levels of governance: strong political leadership delivering clear decision-making by the participating countries — facilitated by the European Commission with the support of the Committee of the Regions — sound coordination, agreement on territorial implementation, and widely shared ownership;










9.


stresses that the EUSAIR requires strong political leadership and that the Adriatic Ionian Initiative — comprising the eight Foreign Ministers of the countries concerned — can play an important coordinatory role in this respect; on the other hand, EUSAIR needs a multilevel governance platform, and regions and local authorities can provide high-level skills for effective implementation of projects in an integrated macro-regional approach;










10.


calls for local and regional authorities to play a stronger role in governance and implementation of the strategy;










11.


notes accordingly that the Committee of the Regions’ Adriatic-Ionian Interregional Group was set up on 30 January 2013 with the task of supporting the European Commission in preparing an Adriatic-Ionian Strategy by the end of 2014, and promoting a common identity for the Adriatic and Ionian Region in order to highlight the region’s full potential;










12.


notes that the European Council ‘mandate’ to the Commission is the result of joint efforts by countries in the region. It builds on several initiatives, such as the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative (AII) launched by the 2000 Ancona declaration, and on other Adriatic-Ionian forums and networks such as the Association Forum of Adriatic and Ionian Cities and Towns, the Forum of the Adriatic and Ionian Chambers of Commerce, the UniAdrion network of universities, and the Adriatic and Ionian Euroregion;










13.


underlines that territorial needs can be catered for through a bottom-up, multi-level governance approach, with a view to tackling the common problems and challenges of the Adriatic and Ionian Region through widely endorsed solutions; this is the key to the success of this EU strategy;






Challenges and tasks for the Adriatic Ionian Region








14.


agrees that the main objective of the proposed Strategy is to promote sustainable economic and social prosperity, growth and job creation in the Region in line with Europe 2020 objectives, by improving its attractiveness, competitiveness and connectivity, while preserving the environment and marine and coastal ecosystems;










15.


welcomes the Commission’s adoption of the ‘Maritime Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Seas’ (7), which has been embedded in the EUSAIR;










16.


welcomes the scope and content of the four pillars of EUSAIR resulting from an extensive consultation of stakeholders in the Region, namely: ‘blue growth’, ‘connecting the region’, ‘environmental quality’, and ‘sustainable tourism’; is pleased at the inclusion of communication in the cross-cutting issues of ‘capacity building including communication’ and ‘R & D innovation and SMEs’;










17.


calls on the European Commission to elaborate a baseline EUSAIR macroeconomic situation and impact assessment as a first step towards capacity building, facilitating implementation of the strategy, and putting into practice the four pillars/priority actions in order to better target objectives and measure progress towards them;










18.


asks for a stronger focus on territorial and social cohesion and on major concerns which cannot be dealt with efficiently by single countries, such as health, active ageing, disparities in demographic and economic conditions between and within the countries of the Region, as well as problems related to security/organised crime/illegal migration, business relocation, and youth unemployment. These issues should be tackled in all four pillars with a view to achieving smart, sustainable and inclusive growth in line with Europe 2020 policies and objectives, and increasing the competitiveness and attractiveness of the EUSAIR region;










19.


suggests taking stock of Baltic and Danube Strategy experiences and holding an annual EUSAIR forum to facilitate economic-social dialogue and broad ownership of the Adriatic-Ionian Strategy through the effective involvement of social and economic stakeholders (trade unions, employers’ organisations, NGOs, youth organisations, civil society associations, etc.);






Funding








20.


welcomes the timing opportunity allowing EUSAIR to be embedded in the new generation of 2014-2020 planning and programming documents of the EU structural and investment funds (ESIFs) and of IPA funds — the Partnership Agreement, IPA Strategy Papers, Operational Programmes — as well as in all relevant EU policies and programmes such as Horizon 2020, COSME, etc.;










21.


notes that the Common Provisions Regulation (CPR), the European Territorial Cooperation (ETC) regulation and the IPA regulation are real opportunities for EUSAIR since they require all ESIFs and IPA funds to take on board macro-regional priorities;










22.


stresses the need to increase the participation of local and regional authorities in identifying priority projects for the AI Region; welcomes the inclusion of natural disaster risk management among the horizontal principles for the four pillars in the Commission’s EUSAIR communication and calls for more attention to be paid to the rolling action plan on issues such as migration, the right to health and administrative training through an Adriatic-Ionian higher institute of education;










23.


calls for active support from European and international financial institutions such as the EIB, EBRD, the World Bank and others, as in the case of the Western Balkans Investment Framework;










24.


suggests creating an Implementation Facility in collaboration with the EIB and international financial bodies allowing the submission of ‘bankable projects’ (8);










25.


calls for private co-financing to be integrated with available funding;










26.


recognises the ‘three no’s rule’: no new regulation, no new institutions and no additional funds, and highlights the ‘three yes’s’ rule referred to in many forums: more complementary funding, more institutional coordination and more new projects;










27.


stresses that EU-level financial support for technical assistance relating to macro-regional strategies has already proven to be an important asset for the Baltic strategy and it should be extended to the Adriatic-Ionian one; calls for a specific budget heading to be created for technical assistance to the Adriatic and Ionian macroregion, along the lines of the budget heading created for the Baltic and Danube macroregions, which provided EUR 2,5 million in commitment and payment appropriations for each macroregion in 2014;






Communication








28.


calls for stronger focus on communication as a cross-cutting issue in order to boost public ownership of the macro-regional strategy and stronger governance, as was also stressed in the ‘Contribution of the Adriatic-Ionian Interregional Group of the CoR to the stakeholders consultation’ of December 2013 addressed to the European Commission;










29.


highlights communication as a tool for raising civil society awareness of what this Strategy represents for citizens, and of its added value in reinforcing the identity of the Adriatic Ionian Region;






Capacity building








30.


agrees that capacity building is a relevant cross-cutting issue in order to ensure the success of the EUSAIR, since the Adriatic Ionian Region is a large area including EU countries, candidate and potential candidate countries, with different administrative structures;










31.


notes that EU countries as well as non-EU countries need to enhance skills and capacities in order to achieve smart, sustainable and inclusive solutions to common problems in the fields of human resources management, international relations, etc. One possible measure would be to set up an Adriatic Ionian Higher School of Administration like the French ENA (Ecole Nationale d’Administration), where civil servants of the Adriatic Ionian Region could develop the skills and abilities needed in multi-level governance, enabling them to implement innovative processes in public administration;










32.


considers that the construction of a long lasting Adriatic Ionian area for peaceful dialogue and effective cooperation, cannot be built without involving, in a consistent way, the youth of the concerned regions. Therefore, invites the Member States and the European Commission to promote, facilitate and improve the implementation of the existing youth mobility programmes in the framework of the EUSAIR area;










33.


underlines that urgent political issues relevant to the region, such as migration, should be viewed as a factor of integration and a source of employment, helping the AI Region and the Mediterranean area as a whole to face major challenges;










34.


stresses that security is another major issue of concern which cannot be dealt with by single countries and calls on the European Commission to include specific actions to address this issue throughout the four pillars of the Strategy;










35.


welcomes the joint communication of the European Commission and the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on ‘An open and secure global maritime domain: elements for a EU maritime security strategy’ (9), stressing that Europe’s maritime interests are fundamentally linked to the wellbeing, prosperity and security of its citizens and communities;










36.


points out that public well-being is fundamental for balanced development in the region; stresses that healthcare services and research should be coordinated in order to ensure that the healthcare sector operates efficiently;






Blue growth








37.


stresses the relevance of the themes of ‘fisheries and aquaculture’, ‘blue technology’ and ‘maritime marine services’;










38.


welcomes the directive of the EP and of the Council establishing a framework for maritime spatial planning and integrated coastal management (10), and urges the EC to take stock of this directive when planning specific actions in the AI Region;










39.


underlines that multi-level governance by stakeholders involved in marine and maritime growth is a crucial factor in efficient management of the A.I. area through common rules and protocols for fishing and preservation of fish stocks, as well as standardised management systems and procedures;










40.


underlines that eco-innovation together with modernisation of fishing and aquaculture as well as (in close connection with the second pillar) of maritime transport and ports with their hinterland infrastructures and maritime clusters are essential in ensuring rational exploitation of marine resources and maritime systems. A common brand for high-quality and traceable fish products could be an important tool for promoting the area;






Connecting the region








41.


stresses the relevance of the ‘maritime transport’, ‘intermodal hinterland’ and ‘energy networks’ themes, and highlights the importance of enhancing immaterial ICT infrastructures. The Adriatic Ionian Cloud represents a means of connecting existing platforms in order to standardise shared processes and protocols, enable efficient intermodal freight and passenger transport, and facilitate services, environmental protection and maritime safety;










42.


underlines that the Adriatic Ionian Region needs to improve access from south-eastern Europe to the rest of the world, including the Mediterranean area, through extension of the Baltic Adriatic Corridor along the Adriatic ridge. Intermodal transport systems in this area need strengthening in order to enhance the region’s position as a transport hub in an international framework;






Environmental quality








43.


stresses the relevance of the ‘marine biodiversity’, ‘pollution of the seas’ and ‘transnational terrestrial habitats and biodiversity’ themes;










44.


underlines that the Adriatic Ionian Region needs to preserve habitat and ecosystems and face climate change challenges through integrated multi-level governance involving all stakeholders in a shared and integrated process;










45.


points out the Mediterranean is a semi-enclosed sea with the lowest water renewal rate in the world, requiring high protection of this delicate ecosystem and advanced experimental projects;










46.


welcomes the EU ‘Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change’ of April 2013 (11) encouraging the exchange of best practices and the development of macro-regional action plans, as examples of global approaches to better assessment of risks and vulnerability;






Sustainable tourism








47.


underlines the relevance of the ‘diversified tourism products and services’, and ‘sustainable tourism management’ themes, resulting from the stakeholder consultation at the Athens Conference;










48.


stresses that the attractiveness of the Region is mainly represented by tourism as one of the main growth sectors and a remarkable trigger for the development of its maritime and inland economy. Development of the sector requires multi-level governance with the involvement of national, regional and local authorities as well as of all territorial stakeholders, ranging from chambers of commerce to universities;










49.


underlines that, on the basis of shared natural, cultural and historical treasures, high-quality agro-food products, professional hospitality traditions, and attractive landscapes to be communicated through an Adriatic Ionian brand, tourism can represent an important leverage for sustainable growth, youth employment opportunities and social inclusion since today ‘half of European coastal jobs and value added are located in the Mediterranean’ (12);






Conclusions








50.


underlines the importance of this third EU macro-regional strategy building on the experience of existing macro-regional strategies in order to develop new innovative and smart cooperation as well as an innovative experimental ‘learning by doing’ multi-level governance approach, while looking for synergies and exchange of practices with other EU strategies;










51.


points out the relevance of the EUSAIR to giving a new impetus to tackling common issues of the Region and promoting sustainable economic and social prosperity with a particular focus on developing growth and jobs, in line with Europe 2020 objectives, by improving its attractiveness, competitiveness and connectivity, in order to make the A-I Region a major hub;










52.


urges the European Commission to play a key role in an innovative multi-level governance platform of coordination and implementation where decisions are shared to ensure the political commitment and ownership of stakeholders at European, national, regional and local level, in line with the subsidiarity principle; private sector and civil society should be involved in ensuring sound and broad ownership of the Strategy through top-down and bottom-up communication, accountability and transparent results, e.g. an open data portal, an annual forum of economic-social dialogue on the EUSAIR, etc.;










53.


stresses EU integration as a fundamental element in the EUSAIR, which comprises four EU and four non-EU countries, and highlights the elements of reconciliation, security, stability and prosperity through closer cooperation and the role of regions as key players in promoting regional self-government, capacity-building, decentralisation and democracy.





Brussels, 26 June 2014


The president of the Committee of the Regions

Michel LEBRUN




(1)  CdR 168/2011 fin.

(2)  COM(2013) 468 final.

(3)  COM(2013) 468 final.

(4)  EP resolution P7_TA (2012) 0269.

(5)  CoR Arlem report 2013/02318.

(6)  COM(2013) 468 final.

(7)  COM(2012) 713 final.

(8)  COM(2011) 381 final.

(9)  JOIN(2014) 9 final.

(10)  COM(2013) 133 final.

(11)  COM(2013) 216 final.

(12)  COM(2014) 86 final.