One Mediterranean: practices, results and strategies for a common Sea

Pre-opening of the Conference and Tea-time with the BlueMed Young Communication Ambassadors
The BlueMed Young Ambassadors share their activities in a dialogue with their colleagues from other Basins.

The BlueMed Young Ambassadors Inès Boujmil, Deniz Yapılcan, Badr El Mahrad, Fella Moualek, together with the Young Ambassadors Vera Noon (IOC/UNESCO, MSPglobal International), Natalija Dunic (European Marine Board), Sofia Sadogurska (Connect-Black Sea), Eimear Manning (All-Atlantic Ocean) and Katerina Kikaki (HCMR)
Introduction: Vassiliki Vassilopoulou (HCMR)
Invited speaker: Laura Mc Donagh (EC)
Moderators: Alba L’Astorina (CNR) and Rita Giuffredi (CNR)

Welcome to the BlueMed CSA final conference

• Opening by the Moderator
  Sheila Heymans (EMB)
• Welcome message by the Authorities
  Gianluigi Consoli (Head of international research programming and promotion – Italian Ministry of University and Research), John Bell (Director EC-DG R&I, video message), Sigi Gruber (former BlueMed Initiative Co-chair) and Mahmoud Abuhussein (BlueMed Initiative Co-Chair)

Introduction

• The status of the Mediterranean Sea
  Fabio Trincardi (CNR, BlueMed CSA Coordinator)
• Retracing the BlueMed tale
  Margherita Cappelletto (CNR, BlueMed CSA Project Manager)

Healthy Plastic-free Mediterranean Sea: what an Initiative!
After intense collaborative work, the Mediterranean countries showcase the process and results of this unique action to tackle the marine litter issue in the Mediterranean Sea. You will hear the voices of the BlueMed Pilot National Hubs and key stakeholders presenting this success story and envisaging its future scale-up.

• The problem
  François Galgani (IFREMER)
• What reactions from the countries? Process, solutions & way forward
  Fabio Fava (UNIBO, Italian delegate BlueMed Initiative), Marta March (MICIN, Spanish delegate BlueMed Initiative), Baris Shalioglu (METU, Turkish delegate BlueMed Initiative) and Cherif Sammari (INSTM, Tunisian delegate BlueMed Initiative)
• Partnering with key stakeholders and scaling-up: constructive dialogue with SEMED, PlasticsEurope, UNEP-MAP, GFCM, the World Bank, Horizon Europe Mission “Ocean, Seas and Waters”
  Luca Marangoni (EC-EASME), Raffaele Liberali (SEMED), Giuseppe Riva (PlasticsEurope), Christos Ioakemidis (UNEP-MAP), Pilar Hernandez (GFCM), Blanca Moreno-Dodson (The World Bank), Alan Deidun (Horizon Europe Mission Board “Ocean, Seas and Waters”)

Chair: Sigi Gruber (former BlueMed Initiative Co-chair)

From the Research and Innovation Agenda to the Implementation Plan: unveiling the BlueMed Strategic Joint Actions
The BlueMed Pilot presented in the previous session stemmed in a framework of dialogue and cooperation. Indeed, the BlueMed tale dates back in 2014: a solid and widely participated process among countries led first to a co-owned Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda and then to the endorsement of the Implementation Plan. These tools are here to serve future activities and to jointly implement the Strategic Actions.

• The way to the Implementation Plan
  Esther Chacón Campollo (AEI), Erasmia Kastanidi (HCMR)
• The Strategic Actions, some examples: pitch presentations on Observing Systems, Climate Change, MRE and MSP, Biodiversity and resources
  Jean-François Cadiou (IFREMER), Maria Snoussi (Université Mohammed V, Rabat, Moroccan delegate BlueMed Initiative), Elena Ciappi (CNR), Pablo Abaunza (IEO)
• Trajectories: Horizon Europe PPP, Blue Economy Ministerial, UN-Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, JPI-Oceans, WestMED
  Elisabetta Balzi (EC), Alessandra Sensi and Giuseppe Provenzano (UfMS), Rosalia Santoleri (COI), Sandra Ketelhake (JPI-Oceans), Daniele Bosio (WestMED)

Opening the curtains on the graphic recording

Gabriele Peddes

Seeds to flourish: a conversation with the Coordinators of the BlueMed Start-up Actions presenting their feasibility studies
They worked on different topics and all according to the BlueMed vision:

• SEALINES – Mediterranean Safety Network
  Ilaria Antoncecchi (MISE)
• LabMaf – Developing a Labelling Scheme for Mediterranean Small-scale and Artisanal Fish Products
  Jerneja Penca (EMUNI)
• ECOMEDPORT – Feasibility study of an ecosystem-oriented plant for sediments management in Mediterranean ports and marinas
  Marco Pellegrini (UniBO)
• BlueBoatsMed – Foresight on cruise and recreational boating, their potential for transition towards a blue economy in the Mediterranean and associated environmental challenges
  Lina Tode (PlanBleu)

Moderator: George Bugeja (MCST)