The EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region is one of the four EU macro-regional strategies, contributing to the further integration of the Western Balkans in EU and which covers eight countries: four EU Member States (Croatia, Greece, Italy, and Slovenia) and four non-EU countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia).
The general objective of the EUSAIR is to promote economic and social prosperity and growth in the region by improving its attractiveness, competitiveness and connectivity.
The participating countries of the EUSAIR agreed on areas of mutual interest with high relevance for the Adriatic-Ionian region: Blue growth, Connecting the regions, Environmental quality and Sustainable tourism.
The EUSAIR Facility Point Strategic Project was set up to facilitate the implementation of the EUSAIR by providing operational support to the governance structures of the EUSAIR.
The project is implemented and financed under Adriatic-Ionian Transnational Cooperation Programme 2014-2020. For its operation, a total amount of 11.5 million EUR has been dedicated for the period from May 2016 to December 2022.
The lead partner role is entrusted to the Government Office of the Republic of Slovenia for Development and European Cohesion Policy which coordinates the ministries, one regional and one local authority from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Greece, Croatia, Italy, Serbia and Slovenia. Together they form a partnership of strategic project.
The EUSAIR Facility Point partnership provides support to:
EUSAIR Governing Board (GB),
4 Thematic Steering Groups (TSGs), involving eight countries of the Adriatic-Ionian region.
WORK PACKAGES
EUSAIR Facility Point partners are implementing six work-packages, through which they jointly contribute to the implementation of the Strategy. Each work-package has a responsible work-package leader, chosen among the eight participating countries.
- Management
This work package is dedicated to the overall management of the strategic project. Decisions within the partnership are taken jointly, the progress is monitored through internal evaluation.
- Assistance to Governing Board and Thematic Steering Groups.
The objective of this work package is to provide the key implementers - members of the Governing Board and Thematic Steering Groups - with the administrative and operational support in their coordination and implementation functions when executing the Action Plan and the objectives of the Strategy.
- Facilitating strategic project development and financial dialogue
Aim of this work-package is to support the members of Thematic Steering Groups in developing project ideas into mature strategic project concepts/proposals embedded in transnational and cross sectoral contexts, including the pooling of funds and coordinating the financial dialogue meetings between the EUSAIR key implementers, managing authorities of EU structural funds and financial institutions.
- Building capacities for monitoring and evaluation of EUSAIR
The purpose of this work package is to provide analytical documents, expertise and research studies to the EUSAIR key implementers in order to assist them in establishing a territorial knowledge base, in developing a framework for monitoring and evaluation and in capacity building activities for public administrations and other stakeholders to monitor, evaluate and revise the EUSAIR Strategy and its Action Plan.
- Developing and managing the EUSAIR Stakeholder platform
Through Stakeholder Platform the stakeholders, project beneficiaries and interested public will have the opportunity to interact and cooperate with the EUSAIR key implementers on issues concerning the Adriatic-Ionian Region.
- Communication
The purpose of this work package is to strengthen the visibility of the EUSAIR within the macro-region through a series of communication and awareness raising activities that will be taking place in the region.
More information about the project could be found at: https://eusairfacilitypoint.adrioninterreg.eu/,
About EUSAIR: http://www.adriatic-ionian.eu/ and
About Adriatic-Ionian Transnational Cooperation Programme 2014-2020 http://www.adrioninterreg.eu/.
