The Adriatic Sea Partnership: A pilot program for the Mediterranean “Extraordinary Meeting of MAP Focal Points” Side Event Catania, Italy 7 November 2006 THE REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER for Central and Eastern Europe

The Situation Adriatic: economically important (transport, fisheries, pollution) ecologically vulnerable (nominated as IMO particularly sensitive sea area) culturally and politically diverse Context: MAP Trilateral Commission Adriatic Ionian Initiative AdriCOSM ASP

The Need Cooperation: Stability and sustainable development Protection of resources Meeting existing commitments (e.g. MSSD, EU Dirs.) Joint action on future priorities Existing commitments: Contingency Plan Ballast Waters Management Plan Integrated Coastal Zone Management Marine Directive and EU Marine Strategy (SLO, I)

Helsinki Water Convention Regional Workshop (Belgrade, May 2006) “There is a need for an international agreement on the Adriatic...” taking into account existing initiatives Belgrade EfE Conference 2007 – preparatory meeting where action on Adriatic was included for SEE

Adriatic Sea Partnership - background Slovenian initiative based on successful model of Sava River Basin initiative (countries are same, plus Albania and Italy) (see below) Launched at MAP Sub-Regional Workshop on Sustainable Development of the Adriatic, Portoroz, June 2006 REC facilitating agency; partners include INFO-RAC Cooperation through ENVSEC (UNEP-UNDP-OSCE- NATO-REC-UNECE) Initial financial support from Italian Ministry of Environment, Land and Sea

Adriatic Sea Partnership - Goals - Facilitate project preparation and implementation aimed at protection and sustainable development of the Adriatic region, through - A comprehensive umbrella partnership and a platform for joint action based on commitments by littoral states and stakeholders with appropriate institutional arrangements

Adriatic Sea Partnership - Elements 1) Umbrella initiative (partnership) as a focal point for action on sustainable development of the Adriatic 2) Appropriate institutional arrangements based on international consensus 3) Interim secretariat to serve and facilitate processes related to the above 4) Support to stakeholder involvement in the Adriatic Sea Partnership 5) Development of inventory of projects as a basis for drafting an Adriatic Management Plan 6) Clearinghouse for project financing

Sava Initiative - Context Helsinki Water Convention and ICPDR Danube Navigation Convention and Commission EU and WFD  Subregional implementation agreement  Pilot sub-basin

Comparison of ASP – Sava Initiative Slovenia Bosnia- Herzegovina Croatia Serbia- Montenegro Formerly a river within Yugoslavia; now an international river passing through 4 countries recently at war Part of the Danube Basin: a pilot sub- region

Sava Initiative - Milestones June 2001, initiative under the Stability Pact: Japan, US State Dept/ SECI/ REC/ BAH (NL, ICPDR, OSCE) Letter of intent signed November 29, 2001 in Sarajevo Framework Agreement for the Sava River Basin signed in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia December 03, 2002 Interim Sava River Commission and Secretariat established Interim Action Plan – inventory of projects March 12, 2003 Agreement came into force December 29, 2004 Permanent Sava Commission established June 26, 2005 Commencement of Secretariat operations January 09, 2005

Issues Navigation, Flood control, Commerce, Recreation and other Uses, Water Quality, Transboundary Cooperation, Public Participation, Biodiversity

Full services to the Partnership Facilitation of negotiations and Secretariat support Legal drafting of basic documents Inventory of priority projects/ project preparation Information dissemination, stakeholder involvement and networking Capacity building Secretariat and expert support for the ASP (on the Sava model)

Example: Support to Project Preparation and Implementation The aim: to enable the technical support to implementation of Mediterranean Sustainable Development Strategy and EU Marine Strategy on sub-regional level, especially the implementation of three strategic projects (Contingency Plan, Ballast Water Management and Integrated Costal Zone Management)

Next steps Expansion of Partnership Assuring support of MAP and EU institutions Adriatic-Ionian Initiative meeting asp.rec.org