The event will showcase best practices in implementing the “From Source to Sea” approach to enhance climate resilience in the Danube River Basin and along the coasts of the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. It will highlight synergies between the implementation of regional conventions and EU macro-regional strategies, with a particular focus on the achievements of the EUSAIR. The session will address one of the most pressing challenges of climate change: the flooding of coastal and riverine areas due to sea level rise and more intense storms. Good practices in flood mitigation and protection will be presented, along with proposals for concrete actions in specific environments such as urban centres and coastal protected areas (e.g. salt pans, wetlands). Special attention will be given to strengthening bilateral, sub-regional, regional, and inter-regional cooperation in addressing the triple crisis of pollution, biodiversity loss, and climate change. The discussions will take into account the latest findings and recommendations from the EU and the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC), to be held in Nice, France, in June 2025.

Speakers

Welcome speeches

• Milan Bogatič, Mayor of the Municipality of Izola
• Costas Kadis, Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans (TBC)

Keynote speaker

• Jože Novak, Minister, Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning of the Republic of Slovenia

SETTING THE SCENE PURPOSE OF THE WORKSHOP

• Senad Oprašić, Pillar Coordinator for TSG 3, Bosnia and Herzegovina, EU Strategy for the Adriatic – Ionian Region
• Mitja Bricelj, Pillar Coordinator for TSG 3, Slovenia, EU Strategy for the Adriatic – Ionian Region, Moderator
• Tatjana Hema, United Nations Environment Programme – Secreteriat, Athens, Greece
• Birgit Vogel, Executive Secretary, International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River
• Representative of the European Union Strategy for the Alpine Region

INTEGRATED WATER AND COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT FOR CLIMATE RESILIENCE

• Dragan Željko - Executive Secretary, International Sava River Basin Commission
• Ivan Sekovski (PAP/RAC Split) - From Risk to Resilience: Coastal Plans for a Changing Climate in Mediterreanean region
• Jerneja Penca - Adaptation for Slovenian Coast through Collaboration: Visioning of Diverse Future Scenarios and Participatory Planning of Public Space

CASE STUDIES OF INTERVENTIONS IN THE ADRIATIC-IONIAN REGION

• Vlado Malačič - Key Oceanographic Conditions for Coastal Defense Design in Slovenia
• Primož Banovec - Identification and design of non-structural and structural measures for the adaptation to climate change induced sea level rise in Slovenia
• Andrej Kryžanowski - Presentation of the sea flood dammage estimation method
• Sebastiano Carrer - The safeguard of Venice and the Mose system: ecological and social aspects

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR MEASURES IN THE ADRIATIC-IONIAN REGION

• Gabriel Mezang Nkodo – Presentation of JASPERS programme, advisory assistance for strategies and projects that contribute to a greener, more connected, and more innovative Europe

CASE STUDIES OF INTERVENTIONS IN THE ALPINE REGION

• Beno Fekonja - EUSDR - PA1b: Water transport
• Jože Papež - Sustainable and Multifunctional Approaches in Natural Hazard Risk Management: Best Practices from Slovenia's Forests and Torrent Catchments: AG 8 EUSALP

FROM VISION TO ACTION: CONVERSATON WITH SPEAKERS

• Peter Vidmar, Moderator

A professional event dedicated to the presentation of the ZeleNatura project, which focuses on the role of green infrastructure in enhancing urban resilience to climate change. The event will begin with an overview of the project’s key objectives, activities, and achieved results. This will be followed by a roundtable discussion entitled Strengthening Urban Resilience to Climate Change through the Integration of Green Infrastructure, featuring experts in urban planning, landscape architecture, and sustainable development. The event will conclude with the opening of an exhibition prepared by the Department of Landscape Architecture at the Biotechnical Faculty of the University of Ljubljana, entitled More Trees, Less Sky! Design of the Green System of the Urban Area of Koper and Izola. The exhibition presents an integrated approach to green system design in coastal towns. The event offers a valuable opportunity for the exchange of knowledge, professional experiences, and visions for sustainable urban development.

Presentation of the spatial analysis of the urban area of Izola and Koper, including the design of the green infrastructure system for both cities, accompanied by shading and cooling measures tailored to the historic town centres.

Representatives of the Member States involved in the EU macro-regional strategies, the European Parliament, and the European Commission will have the opportunity to provide a preliminary response to the ongoing debate on the post-2027 Cohesion Policy, with a particular focus on Interreg programmes and cooperation within the framework of EU macro-regional strategies.

This cooperation is closely aligned with the objectives of Cohesion Policy. It reinforces partnerships, facilitates the exchange of experiences, and addresses shared challenges among EU Member States, candidate countries, and third countries. Above all, it enhances the overall impact of investments financed through EU funds."

The distinguished speakers for the official opening of the Mediterranean Coast and Macro-regional Strategies Week 2025 will be:

• Milan Bogatič, Mayor, Municipality of Izola,
• State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovenia

As part of the official opening, a high-level political panel will follow under the title: »Cohesion Policy post 2027: More cooperation, more Europe«.

The panel will be attended by the following distinguished guests:

• Aleksander Jevšek, Minister, Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development of the Republic of Slovenia
• Vladimir Prebilič, Member of the European Parliament, Member of the Committee on Regional Development
• Roland Arbter, Deputy Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Climate and Environmental Protection, Regions and Water Management, Directorate III/6 - Coordination Regional Policy and Spatial Planning, EUSDR National Coordinator
• Sławomir Tokarski, Director, European Commission, Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, European Territorial Cooperation, Macro-regions, Interreg and Programme implementation.

The panel will provide an opportunity for an exchange of views between speakers from Member States, candidate countries and the European Commission on the mechanisms and role of EUSDR and EUSAIR in further facilitating the path of candidate countries towards EU membership and in harnessing the potential of macro-regional strategies to make a unique contribution to enlargement, peace, stability and security, and to development and growth in candidate countries.

Panellists:

• Valentina Superti, Director, Directorate-General for Enlargement and the Eastern Neigh-bourhood, European Commission
• Predrag Zenović, Chief Negotiator of Montenegro with the European Union, Ministry of European Affairs, Montenegro (TBC)
• Midhat Džemić, National Coordinator for EUSDR and EUSAIR, Presidency of Bosnia and Hercegovina of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region, Bosnia in Hercegovina
• Ministry of European Affairs, North Macedonian Presidency of EU Strategy for Adriatic-Ionian Region, North Macedonia
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Italy (TBC)
• Peter Grk, Secretary General of the Bled Strategic Forum and Coordinator for the Western Balkans, Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Slovenia

Moderator:

• Ambassador Sabina Stadler Repnik, Head of the Strategic Studies and Analysis Department, Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Slovenia

At the 2025 Mediterranean Coast and Macro-Regional Strategies Week (TSO) in Izola, members of the EU MRS Youth Council will take the stage to share how young people are actively shaping solutions to today’s challenges. Through a dynamic panel discussion, they will present concrete initiatives, entrepreneurial projects, and community-based actions aimed at improving quality of life and fostering a more sustainable and inclusive Europe. The event highlights the importance of youth engagement, offering a platform for their voices, ideas, and innovations to inspire decision-makers and peers across macro-regional strategies. Youngsters from the four existing MRS will contribute their unique regional perspectives and showcase collaborative efforts that bridge borders and generations. A representative of the European Commission will also present the most impactful and supportive activities, emphasizing the crucial role of youth in shaping the future of today’s Europe.

Speakers:

• Lana Rakovec, Slovenia, presenting EUSAIR youth
• Pejo Bosnić, Bosnia and Herzegovina, presenting EUSDR youth
• Tommaso Barbesino, Italy, presenting EUSALP youth
• Elias Arndt, Germany, presenting EUSBSR youth
• European Commission (TBC)

Moderator:

• Oliver Majer, Hackathon-Winning Tech Innovator

Horizon Europe project SmartEra is dedicated to driving the smart transformation of rural areas through advanced technology and innovative solutions. By showcasing concrete pilot actions and the concept of smart innovation packages, the session aims to demonstrate practical approaches for strengthening rural resilience and creating vibrant, sustainable communities. In addition to sharing insights from the project’s implementation, the session will explore the potential for policy uptake of its results from a cross-macroregional perspective.

Speakers:

• Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, European Commission (TBC)
• Simona Vrevc, Director General at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food of the Republic of Slovenia
• Midhat Džemić, National Coordinator for EUSDR and EUSAIR, Presidency of Bosnia and Hercegovina of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region
• Iva Čaleta Pleša/Senka Daniel, Pillar Coordinator for TSG4, EU Strategy for the Adriatic – Ionian Region
• Claudia Singer-Smith, EU Strategy for the Danube Region/ PA 10-Inst. Capacity
• Matteo Gerosa (TBC), Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK)
• Slow food Convivium Trebinje (TBC)

Moderator:

• Peter Niederer, Swiss Center for Mountain Regions (SAB)

GROWTH4BLUE project of IPA ADRION aims to analyze Blue Economy labor market trends in the Adriatic-Ionian Region, identify skills and employment gaps, and develop strategies to promote innovation and technological adoption in key sectors of Blue Economy, related to the sustainable use of the Adriatic and Ionian Sea resources.

The session is dedicated to enhancing and leveraging the productive dialogue of the Transnational Blue Economy Network - established in the context of GROWTH4BLUE project - with a clear governance framework, operational guidelines, and communication mechanisms.

The panel discussions are concentrated on the exchange of research findings and market trends, promotion of transnational investment opportunities, advocacy for policy harmonization across the regions, creation of transnational education and training initiatives, and facilitation of collaborative innovation projects contributing significantly to the sustainable development of the Blue Economy across the Adriatic-Ionian Region.

Ecological connectivity links diverse areas in a green infrastructure system, enabling it to support biodiversity conservation, increasing the resilience of space to climate change, and benefits for people and the economy. In many parts of the landscape, particularly in urbanised areas or areas with extensive transport infrastructure, ecological connectivity is impaired or disrupted. The aim of this event is to highlight the critical points of ecological connectivity at transnational and cross-border level and to shed light on its integration into spatial planning decisions at different levels.

The panel will explore how connecting existing regional knowledge and initiatives – from networks such as Ocean4Biotech to the thematic S3 partnership Maritime Sustainable Blue Bioeconomy – can already today shape financially attractive interregional blue bioeconomy projects. The focus will be on the idea of establishing the EUSAIR Blue Bioeconomy Acceleration Facility (BBAF) as a flagship project of Pillar 1, which would provide the Adriatic-Ionian macro-region with comprehensive support through a single service point to accelerate the transition of projects from initial concept to investment decision.

Speakers

• Ana Rotter, Ocean4Biotech, National Institute of Biology, Slovenia
• Tiziana De Nittis, S3 Partnership Maritime Sustainable Blue Bioeconomy, Emilia Romagna Region, Italy
• Michael Chatziefstathiou – EUSAIR Pillar 1 Sustainable Blue Economy Coordinator, Ministry of Rural Development and Food, Directorate General of Fisheries, Greece
• Efthalia Arvaniti, SUBMARINER Network, Baltic Sea Region
• BlueInvest (TBC), EU