Questionnaire: Addressing the Covid-19 impact in Mediterranean MPAs

Source: MedPAN newsletter

 

The coronavirus outbreak is causing an unprecedented global health emergency and a global economic slowdown. Across the globe, MPA communities are sharing challenges and approaches on how to address the virus impact on MPA planning and management. We would like you to share your approaches with the MedPAN network so that they can benefit others and we have thus prepared a short questionnaire.

Go to the questionnaire.

Biannual Flash News on Blue Economy

The 8th issue of the biannual flash news on blue economy in the Mediterranean region is out!
Read the most updated information related to the work of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and its partners to promote the blue economy in the Mediterranean region here.

 

 

 

ENICBC MED funds 22 new projects to drive cooperation forward across the Mediterranean

This article was first published by ENI CBC Med Programme on 20 April 2020.

The Joint Monitoring Committee, decision-making body of the ENI CBC Med Programme, has approved 22 projects under the call for strategic projects out of the 198 proposals submitted. The projects, worth €78.8 million, have the ambition to produce long-lasting and far-reaching effects, fostering significant change in key thematic fields through synergies with the main EU, national and regional policies in the Mediterranean region.


Start-ups development, reinforcement of Euro-Mediterranean economic clusters, technology transfer, employability of young people and women, waste management and energy efficiency: these are the topic s of the 22 projects approved under the strategic call for proposals. It is worth mentioning that the thematic distribution of the projects is related to the different budget available under each Priority.

With an investment of €69 million in EU funding and a total budget worth €78.8 million, these projects gather 197 actors from the eligible territories of the 13 countries participating in the ENI CBC Med Programme, i.e. Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Malta, Portugal, Palestine, Spain and Tunisia. The distribution of lead beneficiaries and partners by country is shown in the graphs below. 

The ambition of strategic projects

Compared to standard projects, strategic projects have increased means – the financial contribution per project ranges from €2.5 to €3.5 million and partnerships are composed of a minimum of 4 different eligible countries, including at least 2 EU Mediterranean Countries and 2 Mediterranean Partner Countries – to achieve ambitious goals.  Notably, strategic projects are expected to produce a far-reaching, long-lasting impact in key sectors of cooperation in the Mediterranean, achieve tangible and replicable results that last beyond the funding of the Programme, and contribute to the development of public policies.

The 22 approved strategic projects add up to the 41 running standard projects: the Programme has now a pool of 63 projects, involving over 450 organizations from both sides of the Mediterranean, worth over €188 million (€169 million EU contribution). The final aim of the Programme is to ensure long-lasting cooperation in the Mediterranean in order to make the region more competitive, innovative, inclusive and sustainable.

Next steps

All applicants involved in the second step of the call for proposals will receive a letter of the Managing Authority containing the results of the evaluation. Selected beneficiaries will soon start the process towards the signing of the grant contract with the Managing Authority, allowing starting the implementation of the planned activities.

L’Agence nationale de la cohésion des territoires (ANCT) lance un bulletin d’information sur l’Initiative OuestMED

L’Agence nationale de la cohésion des territoires (ANCT), assure la coordination des programmes européens en France et contribue à une meilleure articulation de l’Initiative OuestMED pour le développement durable de l’économie bleue en Méditerranée occidentale (adoptée par l’UE en 2017) avec les programmes européens et les acteurs actifs sur cette partie de Bassin Méditerranéen.

L’ANCT met à disposition des acteurs français une information régulière en français (lettre trimestrielle et mémos mensuels), complémentaire à celle diffusée via le site OuestMED, afin de donner une plus grande visibilité à cette Initiative,  une meilleure connaissance et prise en compte de ses priorités, une plus grande appropriation de celles-ci par les parties prenantes et les décideurs.

 

La première lettre, publiée en avril, est disponible ici.

Les Lettres d’information trimestrielles OuestMED sont publiées ici.

La page d’information consacrée à l’Initiative OuestMED est disponible ici.

100 entities gathered by the UfM to contribute to the future of the Blue Economy in the Mediterranean

Source: UfM newsletter  

  • More than 100 experts and representatives from international organisations participated in the UfM online consultation on the future of the Blue Economy in the Mediterranean region.
  • Taking into account the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, they provided more than 350 recommendations in key sectors such as governance, fisheries, aquaculture, tourism, renewable energies, marine litter, blue jobs and safety and surveillance.
  • Their inputs will help to prepare the upcoming meeting of the UfM ministers in charge of Blue Economy, foreseen in 2020.

The Mediterranean is in an alarming situation, warming 20% ​​faster than the world average, according to the first-ever scientific report on the impact of climate and environmental change in the Mediterranean (note: link removed/ page inactive), developed by MedECC with the UfM support. It is estimated that about 15 mega port cities are at risk of flooding, unless further adaptation is undertaken. Maritime transport is one of the most important blue economy sectors in the Mediterranean, both in terms of growth and employment. Yet, it accounts for 10% of marine pollution and 3% of air-polluting emissions. On top of that, about 8 million tons of plastic waste enters the ocean every year and one-time use plastics are making a massive come-back during this COVID-19 crisis. To face all these challenges, the UfM, with its co-presidency, conducted a virtual consultation through the participative platform, Med Blue Economy Platform, during March 2020.

The consultation was structured around priority themes identified with the UfM Member States, ranging from maritime governance, sustainable food, tourism, maritime transport to adaptation to climate change, blue skills development and employment. Around 100 entities – including research centres and universities, public administrations, private sector, international organisations and non-governmental organisations – submitted over 350 substantial feedbacks entries, as part of the preparation process of the 2nd UfM Ministerial Meeting on Blue Economy, foreseen in 2020.

Read the conclusions >>

National Hub gathers Italian stakeholders in a LNG working group

Within the support activities in the field of Sustainable Transport and Alternative Fuels, the Italian National Hub has activated a local working group, composed of stakeholders in the field of LNG for maritime transport. The members of this group include business associations, policy makers, national development banks, research institutes, consulting companies and universities.

A view of the future Higas Oristano GNL project in the port of in Port of Santa Giulia

The Santa Giulia – Oristano GNL project

Among them is Assocostieri, the association of Italian companies involved in energy (maritime) logistics and biofuels. It is one of the most pro-active members, having organised a survey among associated firms and collected seven project info-sheets about LNG bunkering facilities, some with re-gasification plants, which are looking for funding, financing, cross-border partnerships, etc..

With this aim, Assocostieri and the National Hub organised an info day on funding programmes and calls, including the Connecting Europe Facility, the EIB, national development banks and private equity funds. This took place on 5 March, immediately before the official lockdown in the country. The meeting allowed for online participation, so as to allow for people in the COVID-19 “red-zone” to participate.

Assocostieri Director General Dario Soria and Eng. Capaccioli introduced the work done thus far in the field and the project info-sheets obtained, to twelve private participants (7 of which joined remotely), two representatives of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure and the coordinator of Conferenza GNL, Diego Gavagnin, the first Italian initiative on the LNG related supply chain.

 

Italian National Hub then described the assistance activities, their ability to work with other Mediterranean partners, and went through a detailed presentation of the CEF Blending Facility call, the CEF MAP Reflow call, CEF II, EIB financing products – including the Green Shipping Guarantee Programme -and outcomes of ongoing talks with national development banks and private equity funds.

Basing themselves on the project info-sheets, the National Hub also prepared an assessment of access to CEF calls.

Logo of the Connecting Europe Facility funds

The Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) for Transport is the funding instrument to realise European transport infrastructure policy

Considering the preliminary availability of the Italian Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure to lead an LNG cross-border project, the next step is to match this availability with the most suitable project and to confirm the interest (already verbally expressed by many stakeholders) of other countries’ operators.

Similar initiatives will be undertaken with business associations of shipowners once lockdown measures due to the COVID-19 emergency are phased out, and it is expected that a gradual re-start of activity will allow companies to broaden their focus to include such topics, as concerns regarding their daily survival will diminish.

A next online meeting of the WestMED Technical Group for Sustainable Transport/Green Shipping will take place later in April.

Le Hub national débat d’une stratégie de croissance bleue pour la Tunisie

Le Hub national Tunisie a participé ce jeudi 2 avril à un webinar organisé par l’Association Tunisienne de l’Ingénierie Côtière, Portuaire et Maritime et l’Association la Saison Bleue sur les perspectives de l’économie bleue durable en Tunisie.

photo aérienne des anciens ports puniques de Carthage

Ports puniques de Carthage

Le maire de la ville de Bizerte, des représentants de l’Union pour la Méditerranée (UpM), de la Banque Mondiale, et du Fonds mondial pour l’environnement ont rejoint la quarantaine de participants, issus de la société civile, de l’enseignement, de la recherche et de l’administration.

Cette rencontre en ligne a été l’occasion pour le Hub national de rappeler les objectifs et les enjeux de l’initiative OuestMED, ainsi que ses différentes priorités et projets visant à promouvoir la croissance bleue en Tunisie et en Méditerranée occidentale et à créer un réseau d’experts.

Son intervention s’est ensuite portée sur la nécessité d’élaborer une politique maritime intégrée et une stratégie de l’économie bleue pour coordonner les différentes actions et interventions dans les domaines marins et maritimes et bénéficier d’une croissance durable dans ces secteurs.

Après avoir mentionné les nombreux atouts maritimes de la Tunisie, sa position géographique, son réseau d’infrastructures portuaires et une économie tournée vers la mer, le Hub national a expliqué certaines insuffisances actuelles, notamment en matière de lutte contre la pêche illégale, de développement de la pêche durable et de l’aquaculture, en matière d’inadéquation de la formation professionnelle et le besoin de planification spatiale maritime et de protection de sites sensibles.

Suite à constat, le Hub national a appelé au renforcement de l’action du Secrétariat Général des Affaires de la Mer afin qu’il puisse jouer un rôle dynamique dans la concrétisation des objectifs quantitatifs et qualitatifs que cette stratégie doit prévoir.

Les pistes de réflexions proposées, à étudier dans le cadre d’un débat national sur la mer, incluent la cartographie et l’accès aux fonds marins, la sécurisation des espaces marins, le développement de l’énergie marine, le soutien à recherche en biotechnologies marines et l’élaboration d’un plan d’aménagement de l’espace maritime.

La représentante de l’UpM a rappelé les projets en cours et les rencontres malheureusement perturbées par la pandémie de coronavirus. Le représentant de la Banque Mondiale a annoncé les dispositions mises en œuvre pour accompagner la Tunisie dans l’élaboration et la mise en œuvre d’une stratégie de croissance bleue. Il a ensuite présenté les projets que la banque réalise dans la région.

Deux universitaires-chercheurs ont présenté les résultats de leurs recherches, notamment concernant le projet européen BlueMed et ont montré l’importance de ces projets dans le renforcement de la recherche en Tunisie.

La stratégie  de croissance bleue, son contenu et ses objectifs, ont été au cœur des débats intenses de ce webinar qui s’est prolongé au-delà des 4 heures.

D’autres sujets comme les plans d’aménagement du littoral, la planification spatiale maritime, l’aquaculture et la pêche durables et la création de synergies entre institutions de recherche, secteur industriel, et promotion des secteurs créateurs d’emploi pour les diplômés du supérieur ont été abordés.

copie d'écran de l'agenda du web-débat du 29 mars

Agenda Perspectives de l’économie bleue en Tunisie

Marine Litter impacts on biodiversity report released

This article was published by Biodiversity Protection Community on the 30 January 2020. It is available here.

More than 100 species in all common ecological groups have been identified in scientific literature as impacted by marine litter, and the numbers will go up in the Mediterranean region and globally with increasing scientific research initiatives.

The “Mediterranean biodiversity and marine litter: an interaction knowledge base” report is a study published by ETC-UMA and MedCities in collaboration with the network of renowned institutions active in the Mediterranean Biodiversity protection community.

This report builds on a meta-analysis over the MedBioLitter database developed and maintained by ETC-UMA. You can see here a highlight of main findings in the report. Furthermore, the third update to the MedBioLitter database is now online.

What’s in a Catalogue of Tools for biodiversity protection?

This article was published by Biodiversity Protection Community in October 2019.

Now available in several languages

In the framework of the Project PANACeA, the Mediterranean Biodiversity Protection Community built the present Catalogue of tools for biodiversity protection in marine protected areas, covering different needs and requirements for using ecosystem-based approaches in managing and protecting biodiversity.

This Catalogue targets marine protected area managers and includes a handful of the tools for ecosystem-based management in the Mediterranean developed by the Biodiversity Protection Community projects up to 2019. The report is available in EN, AR and FR.

Portuguese stakeholders contribute to feed in the cooperation process in the western Mediterranean

Fórum Oceano, the Portuguese National Hub, promoted the WestMED Initiative National Event, on the 27 February, in Lisbon. The event, entitled “Journey for Interregional Cooperation between Atlantic and the Western Mediterranean”, counted on with the collaboration of DGPM and the Atlantic National Hub, gathering more than 35 Portuguese stakeholders.

The Journey aimed at promoting the presentation of Atlantic and Mediterranean Initiatives’ s programmes and ongoing projects and exploring potential synergies. The event comprised a plenary session and a set of parallel workshops organised according to the thematic areas: Green Shipping, Tourism, Aquaculture and Innovation Platform.

The parallel workshops had the objective of identifying the interests of the regional stakeholders with regards to themes, projects and partnerships that foster the cooperation process in the Western Mediterranean. The event was also of relevance to align perspectives and strategies between the Portuguese representatives.

Besides debating on the project proposals of each priority area, the Portuguese stakeholders identified news ideas, contributing to feeding in the discussion on themes that can be developed under WestMED Initiative.