NEWS

We should be grateful if you can register before 17 May 2013.

As preparations are under way for implementing EU policies for the 2014-2020 period, the CPMR and the Romanian Regions wish to identify how the macro-regional strategies encouraged by the European Union will be able to contribute towards regional development in this part of Europe.

Romania is in a special situation with regard to macro-regional strategies. It is a stakeholder in both the Danube Strategy and the Black Sea Synergy which is very much linked to the EU Neighbourhood Policy.

These two initiatives are not at the same level of maturity and do not concern the same EU policies, but we believe that it is important to see how the Romanian territories can benefit from these two approaches and how Romanian stakeholders, particularly the Regions, can feed into these strategies with their ideas and projects.

The seminar will be opened by the Romanian Prime Minister, Victor Ponta, whom we will be honoured to welcome in person. It will also be attended by high-level representatives from the relevant Romanian Ministries, European Parliament and Directorates General of the European Commission. Its timing will coincide with discussions on the partnership contracts between the European Commission and each of the EU Member States on the priorities for structural funds for 2014-2020. In this respect, it could therefore provide a useful input in terms of how structural funds can contribute towards achieving the Danube Strategy, and will also help to prepare the content of the operational programmes for the future transnational cooperation programmes implemented in this region.

This meeting aims to provide Romanian Regions, both members and non-members of the CPMR, with a better understanding of the actions led by the CPMR and its Balkan and Black Sea Commission.

For the CPMR, this is also an opportunity to find out more about the regional situation in Romania and the Regions’ expectations with regard to its policy action, and to envisage actions and projects involving the Romanian Regions in areas such as interregional cooperation, neighbourhood, maritime and transport policies, etc.

The meeting is open to Presidents and administrative managers from Romanian Regions bordering the Black Sea and the Danube.

Mr Ayhan Özkan, Deputy Governor of Edirne Governorship was elected unanimously President of the Balkan and Black Sea Regional Commission during the General Assembly held in Odessa on 26 April 2013.

During this General Assembly a Political Bureau was set up for the first time, which elected three Vice Presidents : Ismail Gültekin, Deputy Governor of Kirklareli, Mrs Eleftheria Eleftheria, Regional Councilor, Peripheria Notio Aigaio and Mr George Siscu, Vice-President of Tulcea County Council.

Citizens' participation and funding opportunities to support participatory initiatives AND Young adults education for participation and inclusion
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Courses are offered twice over the year with intensive 5 - days sessions. Eligible applicants are citizens of EU 27 Countries, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, Turkey, Croatia and Macedonia. The course is open to a variety of participants among which professionals and volunteers involved in organisations/institutions management, trainers, careers officer, managers of schools/organisations offering adult education, non-teaching administrative staff, members of students/teachers councils in adult education, inspectors, teachers etc.

Both initiatives are recognised by the European Union as a Grundtvig in Service Training Course. The participants are therefore warmly invited to apply for a Grundtvig grant, which would enable them to cover their travel, accommodation and course fees expenses.

The deadline to apply for both training courses is the 30th April 2013.

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While last week the European Council in its conclusions asked the Commission to prepare a macro-regional strategy on the Adriatic-Ionian Area, already the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR) had set up a Task Force to prepare an action plan in 2013.

This decision was taken ahead of all the initiatives by other European institutions in the Adriatic-Ionian area: the European Parliament has supported this priority in the Report drafted by François Alfonsi (GREENS-FR) on the “evolution of EU macro-regional strategies: present practice and future prospects, especially in the Mediterranean”; the Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Maria Damanaki presented a communication on the Adriatic Maritime policy in Zagreb; and Gian Mario Spacca, President of Marche Region and member of CPMR is proposing an “Adriatic-Ionian Intergroup” within the Committee of the Regions.

The CPMR welcomes all these initiatives, which it had called for during its last General Assembly in Bialystok (PL) on 5 October 2012, and together with its Italian, Greek and Croatian Regions is undertaking to prepare technical and political initiatives, with gradual involvement from the other maritime regions of the Western Balkans. An initial outline for an interregional action plan in this area will be proposed by the CPMR in the spring of 2013. This work falls within the more general scope of support for macro-regional strategies and sea basin approaches.

“Without waiting for these recent decisions, we already adopted an agenda for the Adriatic in October and set up a Task Force to help the institutions prepare the action plan scheduled for 2014, when the EU Presidency will be held by two Adriatic-Ionian countries, Italy and Greece,” said Eleni Marianou, Secretary General.

In its conclusions presented on Friday 14 December 2012, the European Council invited the European Commission to develop a macro-regional strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian area before the end of 2014. As you are aware, this paragraph was strongly desired by Italy and Greece, that will hold the Presidency of the EU in 2014. Operationally, this reflects the previous conclusions of the European Council of June 2011, in which the possibility of launching such a macro-regional strategy was first raised. The Adriatic-Ionian is the third macro-regional strategy to be launched after the Baltic and the Danube.

During its latest General Assembly in Bialystok, the CPMR decided to take action on this policy area in adopting a resolution “The CPMR is calling for the rapid launch of the Adriatic-Ionian macro-region”.

Further to the technical meeting held on 12 November 2012, in 2013 the CPMR will create a working group that will focus on this issue on a political level.

On the kind invitation of the Governor of Edirne, Mr Hasan DURUER and the Deputy Governor and 1st Vice-Governor of the CPMR Balkan and Black Sea Regional Commission, Mr Phd. Ayhan ÖZKAN, a national conference was organised in Edirne Chamber of Commerce and Industry with the Deputy Governors of the following provinces : Edirne, Yalova, Gümüşhane, Amasya, Düzce, Ordu, Bartın, Çankırı, Kocaeli, Tekirdağ, Sinop, Kırklareli.

The aim of the meeting was to present the CPMR activities and to discuss the general evolution of the future collaboration between the CPMR and the Turkish Provinces.

The CPMR and the Black Sea Regional Commission were represented by Mr Pavlos Damianidis, President of the BBSRC and Patrick Anvroin, CPMR Director.

Among the issues discussed, an important part was dedicated to the current and future cross-border cooperations in the Black Sea Area with the speeches of High level experts.

International conference "Setting an Agenda for Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth from the Adriatic and Ionian Seas" will take place in the Hotel Sheraton in Zagreb, Croatia, on 6 December 2012.

The conference will present the Communication by the European Commission "A Maritime Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Seas" and will launch the process leading to the adoption of an Action Plan for maritime affairs during 2013. With your participation, you will ensure that your organisation contributes to defining the upcoming Action Plan with its expertise and plays a role in its implementation.

The conference will gather maritime stakeholders representing civil society, business community and public authorities from Croatia, Greece, Italy, Slovenia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia.

The aim of the conference is to discuss joint initiatives and actions to maximize the potential of the blue economy and to sustain a healthier marine environment, safer and more secure maritime space and responsible fishing activities.

The discussion will build on the proposals presented during the three stakeholder workshops that took place in Athens (16 February), Trieste (12-13 June) and Portoroz (17 September), analysing how and by whom these proposals can be implemented.

The Conference is organized by the Croatian Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure and the European Commission.

All Adriatic and Ionian countries are involved in its organization.

The official languages of the Conference are English and Croatian.

Parallel working groups will be held in English.

event organisers
GOPA-Cartermill S.A.
Rue de Trèves, 45
1040 Brussels
Belgium
T: +32.2.286.19.81
AI-SeasConference-Zagreb@gopa-cartermill.com

The CPMR Working Group has held its first meeting on the Strategy Adriatico-Ionian on Monday, 12 November in Brussels in the presence of Eleni Marianou CPMR Secretary General, Fausta Corda, European officer from DG Regio and Anne Foata representing the MEP François Alfonsi.

Mr Iuliu BARA, Head of the Managing Authority of the Black, Sea Basin Joint Operational Programme, making his speech.

On the top table:
Berkol ALEVLI, Coordinator of Sinop Investment Support Office, North Anatolian Development Agency;
Ismail GULTEKIN, Deputy Governor of Kirklareli, 2nd BBSRC Vice-President
Patrick ANVROIN, CPMR Director
Pavlos DAMIANIDIS, Deputy Regional Governor of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, President of the BBSRC
Ayhan ÖZKAN, Deputy Governor of Edirne, Vice-President of the BBSRC

Speech made by Stefan Füle, European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood on the Black Sea Strategy during the EP Plenary Session on Tuesday 17 April 2012.

Photo:

Pavlos DAMIANIDIS, President of the BBSRC, Deputy Regional Governor East Macedonia and Thrace (GR) (in the middle)

Ayhan ÖZKAN, 1st Vice President of the BBSRC, Deputy Governor of Edirne Region (TR) (left)

Ismail GULTEKIN, 2nd Vice President of the BBSRC, Deputy Governor of Kirklareli Region (TR) (right)

On 14 September, the CPMR welcomed an Odessa delegation in Rennes. The delegation consisted of Anastasiia Andronova, Mykola Rudyk, Inna Zdor, Svitlana Polishchuk from the General Department of Foreign Economic Activity and European Integration of Odessa Regional State Administration.
The discussions focused on subjects such as tourism, maritime policy, fisheries and ways to implement projects.
Odessa, a Member Region of the CPMR and the BBSRC expressed its full interest and commitment to further developing an in-depth collaboration in the future.

Mr Pavlos DAMIANIDIS, President of the CPMR Balkan and Black Sea Regional Commission and Deputy Regional Governor of the Region of East Macedonia & Thrace will participate in the Inaugural Meeting of the Conference of Regional and Local Authorities of the Eastern Partnership – CORLEAP on 8 September 2011, Poznań (Poland).

You will find all information below by clicking on the link :

• Agenda of the inaugural meeting on 8 September 2011
• CORLEAP - frequently asked questions and members list
• CORLEAP – founding document adopted by the Committee of the Regions Bureau in May 2011
• Background: The Committee of the Regions and the Eastern Partnership
• Background: CoR Eastern Partnership Forum, 16 June 2009

At the invitation of Mr Dancho Simeonov, Governor of the Regional Administration of Varna (BG), the Conference on the Black Sea Regional Cooperation and the BBSRC General Assembly was held in Varna on 8 July 2011.

The importance of Black Sea Regional Cooperation and the European Union Policies in the Wider Black Sea Area are at the core of the CPMR Black Sea General Assembly.

Jean-Yves Le DRIAN and Dancho SIMEONOV, Governor, Varna Regional Administration opened the works at the presence of Prof. Vladko PANAYOTOV (MEP), representing the European Parliament, Wolfgang STREITENBERGER (DG REGIO) and Georges KREMLIS (DG ENVI) representing the European Commission.

The Bulgarian Government has been represented by Lilyana PAVLOVA, Vice Minister of Regional Development and Public Works.

Pavlos Damianidis, Vice President of the Anatoliki Makedonia Kai Thraki (East Macedonia and Thrace - Greece) was elected President of the BBSRC during the 6th BBSRC General Assembly, held in Varna on 8 July 2011.

photo: from left to right
Eleni MARIANOU, Secretary General, CPMR
Jean-Yves LE DRIAN, President of the Brittany Region and of the CPMR
Pavlos DAMIANIDIS, Vice President of the Anatoliki Makedonia Kai Thraki
Anthony PAPADIMITRIOU, BBSRC Executive Secretary
Tarhon VICTOR, President of Tulcea County Council, Vice President of the CPMR

The seminar, organised by Regional Environment Center with the generous support of the Italian Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea is primarily intended for Civil Servants of Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, the Russian Federation, Turkey and Ukraine.

Deadline for application : May 11th

Dates:June 20-26th, September 12-17th 2011

Selection process : Participants will be chosen based on their applications. The short forms are on the website.

Cost: EUR 2000 - however scholarships may be granted upon request.

All detailed information can be found on www.courseforsustainability.org

("Members" heading will soon be updated)

EASTERN MACEDONIA AND THRACE
Mr Aris GIANNAKIDIS

ATTIKI
Mr Ioannis SGOUROS

DYTIKI ELLADA (WESTERN GREECE)
Mr Apostolos KATSIFARAS

DYTIKI MAKEDONIA (WESTERN MACEDONIA)
Mr Antonios DAKIS

IONIA NISSIA
Mr Spyridon SPYROU

IPIROS
Mr Alexandros KACHRIMANIS

KENTRIKI MAKEDONIA
Mr Panagiotis PSOMIADIS

KRITI
Mr Stavros ARNAOUTAKIS

NOTIO AIGAIO (SOUTH AEGEAN)
Mr Ioannis MACHAIRIDIS


PELOPONNISOS
Mr Petros TATOULIS

STEREA ELLADA
Mr Klearchos PERGANTAS

THESSALIA
Mr Konstantinos AGORASTOS

VOREIO AIGAIO (NORTH AEGEAN)
Mr Athanasios GIAKALIS