THE INITIATIVE
How it all started
The two AI-NURECC projects contributed to the implementation of the Adriatic-Ionian macro-regional strategy (EUSAIR) with their events and engagement of different stakeholders.
AI-NURECC INITIATIVE
The European Union Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR) was officially launched by the European Commission on 18 June 2014 and approved by the EU Council on 24 October 2014.
The AI-NURECC Initiative lasted 18 months with the aim of contributing to the achievement of the EUSAIR political objectives and to foster the sound implementation of its Action Plan.
The final goal was to promote a structured dialogue and a stronger, more effective cooperation among Regional and Local Authorities, Universities, Chambers of Commerce, youth associations and networks, entrepreneurs and civil society.
AI-NURECC actions integrated and followed the relevant work prepared by the Presidency of the EUSAIR/ Adriatic Ionian Initiative (AII).
Four preparatory actions were set up:
1. the AI-NURECC Youth Action;
2. the AI-NURECC Creative and Cultural Industries Action;
3. the AI-NURECC Task Force on Tourism and Cultural Heritage; and
4. the AI-NURECC Skills Development & Training Action.
AI-NURECC Topics
In the previous project, an AI-NURECC TASK FORCE ON TOURISM AND CULTURAL HERITAGE was set up.
It promoted capitalisation on existing project ideas and exchange of best practices. The task force collaborated with existing EUSAIR technical bodies (Thematic Steering Groups-TSG and Adriatic Ionian Initiative -AII Round Tables) and contributed to enhance training and skills in the field of tourism business and cultural heritage in order to achieve a critical mass of pilot projects promoting for instance the development of sustainable, accessible, innovative tourism, including thematic tourism and cultural routes. This activity was even more relevant given the 2018 European year of cultural heritage accross Europe. The partners involved in the EYCH’s activities could organise AI-NURECC info-kiosks and events. The aim of these info-kiosks was to support the dialogue in the field of culture, by offering visibility to the non-EU Members’ culture and promoting the rich and diverse cultural heritage of the Adriatic-Ionian region.
It resulted in the following deliverables:
- AI-NURECC Capitalisation workshop on Tourism and Cultural Heritage, back to back the conference on Creative and Cultural Industries (Greece);
- Five AI-NURECC Info-kiosks events (Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Italia) ;
- Integrated Dialogue with (TSGs and AII) promoting an AI tourism label.
The work in the past focused also on the AI-NURECC CAPACITY BUILDING ACTION.
It aimed to increase capacities on territorial development project design to reduce the existing gap between the EUSAIR objectives on the one hand and the opportunities delivered by the EU, national, regional funding programmes on the other. It also promoted multilateral networking activities among universities, cities/public administrations and enterprises. This action resulted in the following deliverables:
- Seminar on EU policies and EU territorial cooperation opportunities;
- Two training workshops for Adriatic Ionian -AI civil servants.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the following 4 preparatory actions were put in place: AI-NURECC YOUTH ACTION, AI-NURECC CREATIVE AND CULTURAL INDUSTRIES ACTION, AI-NURECC TASK FORCE ON TOURISM AND CULTURAL HERITAGE and AI-NURECC CAPACITY BUILDING ACTION.
These actions were accompanied by three specific actions, developed in cooperation and synergy with the AI Stakeholder platform, aimed at framing the conditions to operate in the whole macro region:
Developed with the aim to help dissemination of EUSAIR priorities and results promoting EUSAIR and EU awareness and positive image. This action resulted in the following deliverables:
- EUSAIR Direct Information Stands, which was established back to back all the AI-NURECC public events/meetings;
- Five AI-NURECC newsletters
- The AI-NURECC Final Brochure
AI-NURECC
FINAL BROCHURE
It promoted sound studies aiming to deliver updated analysis on the ongoing changes in the administrative structures of the 8 EUSAIR countries. (Croatia, Greece, Slovenia, Italy, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia). It also promoted initiatives designed to facilitate the involvement of regional, local and civil society partners within EUSAIR implementation also in order to activate an effective process facilitating a coordinated resort to structural funds in the present and future programming periods. Finally, it supported the Stakeholder IT Platform (offline activities) to enhance capitalisation and community building initiatives.
This action resulted in the following deliverables:
- Diagnostic Analysis on the state of play of multilevel and multifactor governance in the Adriatic –Ionian Area
- SEMINAR: The role played by multilevel and multi actor governance in the EU policies (Albania, in spring 2019).