Commit to the Mission Charter to contribute to a healthy “pollution free” MED

Organized by: Ecomondo Scientific Technical Committee, BlueMed GSOs, Federchimica-PlasticsEurope Italia, Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR), National Research Council of Italy (CNR)

The Mission Restore our Oceans and Waters by 2030 provides a holistic and coherent framework for developing a systemic approach to protect and restore marine and freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity, to prevent and eliminate pollution of our ocean, seas and waters, and to make the sustainable blue economy carbon-neutral and circular. The Mission launched four Lighthouses in different European Seas and River basins to achieve these objectives. The one on the Mediterranean sea is addressed to develop and deploy transformative innovative solutions across the whole MED basin, to ensure prevention and reduction of contamination by 50 and 30% by 2030 starting from plastic pollution and beyond. This can  be achieved by connecting and structuring existing initiatives, activities and a whole portfolio of ongoing projects; deploying, disseminating and upscaling solutions and mobilising relevant actors. Local business , citizens and local policy makers, can make this happen and they are all invited to participate and engage to become active players in this process. Therefore, to express and showcase their willingness to actively contribute to a successful implementation of this Mission and its related Mediterranean lighthouse, they are also  invited to endorse the Mission Charter.  

This event is aiming at engaging key Mediterranean stakeholders to support the structuring of the necessary MED innovation ecosystem, which is key for the effective deployment of the Mission Lighthouse and its related Charter.

Session Chairs

Sigi Gruber, Active Senior Advisor - European Commission
Maria Garcies, CPMR Intermediterranean Commission
Lorenzo Bottinelli, President Federchimica-PlasticsEurope Italia
Fedra Francocci, CNR IAS

Programme

Facilitation by Fedra Francocci, CNR IAS

14.00 Introduction by the Chairs

Greetings
Vincenzo Colla, Councillor for Economic Development, Green economy, Employment and Continuing Education of Emilia-Romagna Region

14.20-15.20 Roundtable: Building on prior political commitments for basin-scale cooperation, scaling it up to achieve the Mission Lighthouse targets at local/territorial level by involving Regions and Member States

Session Moderator:
Sigi Gruber, active Senior Advisor - European Commission 

Participants:
Alessandra Sensi (UfM); Fabio Fava (BlueMed); Leonardo Manzari (WestMed); Lodovico Gherardi (EUSAIR), Maria Garcies (CPMR IMC & Dialogue4Innovation project), Francesca Biondo/Stefania Valentini (FEDERPESCA); Mario Dogliani (SDG4MED), Stefania Manca (Municipality of Genoa)

15.20 Q&A session

15.30-16.20 Session Chairs:
Maria Garcies, CPMR-IMC
Lorenzo Bottinelli, President Federchimica-PlasticsEurope Italia

15.30-16.20 Roundtable: Structuring and leveraging existing capacities, finance sources and networks

Moderator:
Maria Garcies, CPMR-IMC

Participants:
Fedrica Bruni, BUSINESSMED
Pol Rovira de Lataillade, SwitchMed
Milena Marzano, Global Alliance for Skills
Apulia Region
Susanna Albertini, EUBioNet
Marina Chiota, Provincia di Latina
Selenia Izzo, 365 BlueLine

16.20 -16.40 Main instruments to avoid marine littering and to develop a circular economy: proposals and experiences of the plastic industrial Associations within the Mediterranean basin
Moderator: Lorenzo Bottinelli, President Federchimica-PlasticsEurope Italia
Participants: the main industrial plastics associations of the Mediterranean countries    

16.40 Q&A session

16.50 The Charter for the Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030”
John Bell, Deputy Mission Manager & Director of Healthy Planet, DG Research & Innovation

17.00  Closure by Sigi Gruber and Fedra Francocci