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The second Committee of Senior Officials under the Chairmanship of Croatia took place in Brussels last February 23.
Main topics of the meeting were: a report by the Presidency on the activities carried out during the first semester as well as its program of events until May; A discussion over the overhauled AII Round Tables and how to best connect them with EUSAIR Thematic Steering Groups; Next Adriatic and Ionian Council in the framework of the First Forum of the EUSAIR that will take place in Dubrovnik.
The latter topic had particular relevance as Senior Officials confirmed their decision to join forces with the ongoing macroregional process for the Adriatic and Ionian Region and to coordinate their political/ministerial level of cooperation. Consequently, a joint “Adriatic and Ionian Council/ EUSAIR Ministerial meeting” will take place on 12 May in Dubrovnik and will issue a single ministerial declaration.
Senior Officials also decided that, even though the topic of migration is not among the priorities of the AII and EUSAIR, the terrible refugee crisis unfolding along the Balkan Route and in the Mediterranean will have a place in the Declaration, committing AII Countries and the Commission to consider how the EUSAIR could contribute to its solution.
The AII Round Table on Sustainable Tourism and Culture has been held in Zagreb on November 25.
It has been the first Round Table after the overhaul approved by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs at the Adriatic and Ionian Council of 13 May 2015 aimed at linking the AII intergovernmental instrument of cooperation with the EUSAIR Governance with a view of pooling energies and avoid overlapping.
The meeting - held back to back with the Thematic Steering Group on Sustainable Tourism (26 November) - was chaired by the Ministry of Tourism of Croatia with the support of the Permanent Secretariat.
The new system is also aimed at involving civil society much more than the past in order to have a two way communication with the TSGs in terms of recommendations, opinions, project proposals etc. In fact, besides representative of national Ministries of Tourism, the meeting was attended by representatives of the AI Forum of Chambers of Commerce, the AI Forum of Cities, AdriaPan (the Network of Marine Protected Areas), NGOs as well as by private entrepreneurs.
The results of the meeting were brought at the attention of the TSG on Sustainable Tourism of the following day by the AII Secretary General .
In the framework of the " Festival Adriatico Mediterraneo " the AdMed Prize was awarded to writer and journalist Paolo RUMIZ on 2 September.
The award ceremony took place in Ancona at the Seat of the AII Permanent Secretariat and was attended by Damir Grubisa , Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia ( currently holding the Annual rotating AII Chairmanship ) ,by the President of The Marche Region , Luca Ceriscioli , and by other representatives of the Fora of civil society engaged in the EUSAIR Strategy.
While awarding the Prize , the AII Secretary General , Ambassador Pigliapoco , recalled that Paolo RUMIZ , born in Trieste and well known for his knowledge and expertise in the history and current situation of the Balkan area , was the ideal winner of a Prize which emphasizes the values of dialogue , cooperation and solidarity among the Countries and the people of the Adriatic and Ionian basin.
The second EUSAIR Governing board was held on October 7th in Zagreb, under the Co-Chairmanship of the European Commission and the Republic of Croatia
The GB standing members took stock of the first two rounds of the four “ Thematic Steering Groups “ meetings, highlighting the opportunity to effectively link them with the overhauled AII Round Tables that, in line with the Declaration of the Adriatic and Ionian Council of May 2015, represent a “new auxiliary” tool for TSGs. Some shortcomings on the functioning of the Steering Groups were noted and will have to be tackled by partners in the coming months.
On the basis of the indications of the AII Committee of Senior Officials, held on the previous day, the decision to connect the Adriatic and Ionian Council and the EUSAIR political level was endorsed . There was general agreement that pooling resources will be more and more crucial, both for AII and EUSAIR. A joint meeting of AII/EUSAIR Ministers of Foreign Affairs will be held on the occasion of the EUSAIR Annual Forum and will issue a joint EUSAR/AIC Declaration.
Discussions among National Coordinators, Pillar Coordinators and the EU Commission focused also on the ADRION Programme and the Facility Point which will support the EUSAIR Strategy.
The 1st EUSAIR Annual Forum will take place at the end of May 2016, most probably in Dubrovnik .
The ADRIPLAN (a project funded by DG MARE under the theme "Maritime Spatial Planning") Final Conference was held in Venice last 10 July. The Conference was intended to present the outcome and activities of the ADRIPLAN project, which is aimed at supporting commonly-agreed cross-border Maritime Spatial Planning in the Adriatic – Ionian Region.
The AII Secretary General, Amb. Pigliapoco, took the floor in the framework of the morning session dedicated to EUSAIR, along with two Pillar Coordinators (Pillar 2 – Transports; Pillar 3 – Environment Protection).
The debate was held only few days after the end of the first round of meetings of the Thematic Steering Groups which were mainly aimed at establishing rules, methodologies and criteria for their works and activities. They also highlighted the necessity of a proper attendance by the designated members of TSGs in order to guarantee an effective implementation of the EUSAIR .