This is the first meeting of the commission since the Adriatic Euroregion transformed into the Adriatic-Ionian Euroregion which was decided upon in Molise in January this year.
President of the commission Ljudevit Krpan said that the purpose of the meeting was to have the region included in preparing a European Union strategic document while Istria County Prefect Ivan Jakovcic said that it was important to network in order to facilitate better access to EU funds.
The Adriatic-Ionian Euroregion is a model for cooperation that unites transnational, cross-border and inter-regional cooperation and sets an institutional framework to resolve the most important issues, common to all stakeholders in the region bounded by the Adriatic and Ionian seas.
It is expected that the initiative could grow into a macro-region and in that way improve its chances to draw EU financial instruments.
The macro-region would connect a space in which around 60 million people live in three EU member countries (Italy, Slovenia and Greece) as well as Croatia as the next EU newcomer and potential candidate countries such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania and Serbia.
The Adriatic-Ionian Euroregion now consists of 26 members - regional and local government units from Italy, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania and Greece.
The initiative's objective is to create an area of peace, stability and cooperation, to protect cultural heritage, environment protection, sustainable economic development, particularly in tourism, fishing, agriculture and to resolve transport and infrastructure questions.
The initiative consists of seven technical commissions - transport and infrastructure, tourism and culture, environment protection, production, fishing, social issues and administration and public awards.