From Source-to-Sea to Scale: Mediterranean Pathways for Water Resilience and the Ocean Pact

The adoption of the European Ocean Pact and the Water Resilience Strategy marks a new phase for the governance of aquatic ecosystems, calling for stronger integration between marine and freshwater policies and for a source-to-sea approach capable of linking innovation, territorial cooperation and investment. In this context, the Mediterranean basin represents a unique laboratory for translating European ambitions into concrete action.
Building on the experience of the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030”, BlueMissionMed, Interreg programmes, the Union for the Mediterranean and other regional initiatives, this session will explore how policies, governance frameworks and innovation ecosystems can jointly support the transition from pilot actions to large-scale deployment. Particular attention will be devoted to the role of the Mediterranean as a living laboratory for integrated water management and to the contribution of regional cooperation mechanisms in developing resilient and inclusive pathways. 
The discussion will focus on strengthening coordination across sectors and governance levels, accelerating the uptake of innovative solutions and enhancing the impact of investments through cooperation and participatory approaches. In doing so, the event will contribute to reinforcing synergies among European policies and initiatives while creating a bridge towards major international processes.
The session will conclude with a reflection on Living Labs as powerful instruments for co-creation, citizen engagement and collaborative governance.

Session Chair

Elisa Conti, CNR DSSTTA
Francesco Camonita, CPMR-IMC

Program

10.30 Welcome and Introduction
Chair: Elisa Conti, CNR DSSTTA

10.35 Roundtable 1 - From the Source: Policies and Governance Priorities for Freshwater Management and Resilience in the Mediterranean
Moderator:
Francesco Camonita, Policy & Project Officer CPMR IMC

Speakers:
Manuel Sapiano, Senior Expert of the Institut Mediterranéen de l’Eau (IME) and co-organizing stakeholder of the Euro-Mediterranean Water Forum (Rome 2026)
Representative INTERREG IPA ADRION Programme (TBD) 
Insa Behrens, Project Officer - Water Management and Climate Change Adaptation, Plan Bleu
Patrizia Bianconi, Senior Expert at Emilia-Romagna region and Coordinator of Alliance of European Regions on Water Resilience and Preparedness for Climate Change 
Antonio Francisco López Nicolás, Júcar River Basin Authority (Spain), representative of MENBO (Mediterranean Network of Basin Organizations) 
Luca Marchesi, Director, Environment and Land Protection Dept., Veneto Region

11.25 Roundtable 2 - From Innovation to Deployment: Scaling Mediterranean Solutions for Ocean and Waters under a sustainable blue economy framework
Moderator:
Elisa Conti, CNR DSSTTA

Speakers:
Christos Economou, Deputy Director for Maritime Policy and Blue Economy and Head of Unit Sea Basin Strategies, Maritime Regional Cooperation, DG MARE, European Commission - From Ocean Pact to Ocean Act
Wiebke Pankauke, Head of Unit B4, DG RTD, European Commission - EU Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030 (TBC)
Adriana Salazar, Union for the Mediterranean – The UfM declaration on Sustainable Blue Economy
Matteo Bocci, Green Assist Programme, ECORYS (TBC)  
Lorenzo Proia, UVIC - SEACURE
Vanessa Moschino, CNR ISMAR - INSPIRE
Tiziana De Nittis, ART ER - BLUE ECOSYSTEM, Interreg Euro-MED

12.10 Living Lab for Ocean and Waters in dialogue with MEDCONNECT
Moderator:
Elisabetta Balzi, DG RTD, European Commission

Speakers:
Fantina Madricardo, CNR ISMAR - Living Lab for Ocean and Waters (CNR) and Mediterranean Blue Living Lab Network
Gotelenne Piaton, CMMI - MEDCONNECT (TBC)

12.30 Closure by the Chair