WELCOME PRESENTATION SESSION

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1 PLATFORMA CPMR round tables The Med beyond 2015 how to achieve sustainable development Rome, 10 th November 2014 Themes: Development Agenda post 2015, Development and Decentralised Cooperation, Sustainable Development Goals, Climate Challenges WELCOME PRESENTATION SESSION Mr Davide Strangis, Executive Secretary of the Intermediterranean Commission of the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions introduced the session, contextualising it within the frameworks of sustainable development, climate change, as well as the Blue Growth agenda and the Integrated Maritime Policies for the Mediterranean. Mr Nicola Zingaretti, President of the Lazio Region underlined the will of the region to be involved in the enhancement of Euro-Mediterranean relations through national actions, as well as in the orientation of the next EU programming period. Current cultural and social changes happening in the Mediterranean fall within a delicate period for the area, and are often wrongly perceived by European and national politics that seem to stress indifference and fear while not daring to deal with them. In the case of immigration for example, the media in Europe have been presenting it as a tragedy rather than a socio-cultural phenomenon. Europe needs to be thought and reshaped as a leading area for economy and development, by drawing on and enhancing its potential from its economic and socio-cultural assets, as can be found throughout the Mediterranean area. Local and regional levels should act in this sense, while considering the Mediterranean as a priority area for action. Macro-regional strategies would be a way to achieve more cohesion in the future through strengthening development, economic growth, peace and cultural exchanges in this area. Mr Michel Vauzelle, President of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d Azur (PACA) Region and of the Intermediterranean Commission of the CPMR added that despite the messages conveyed by the media about the Arab World and about Islam, which exacerbate racism in citizens already anxious as a consequence of the socio-economic crisis, there is no need to make war on the Arab World. Instead, domestic and foreign affairs should ally themselves in order to solve issues on the Mediterranean scale such as unemployment or the biased perception of ethnicity and religion. For this to happen, Mediterranean politics should be given more visibility, adding to the already existing dynamics of the European Commission s DG MARE and the Joint Technical Secretariat of the MED Programme from PACA for an increased cohesion at the basin scale. Moreover, he insisted that when talking about the Southern rim of the Mediterranean, the expression European Neighbourhood does not seem relevant anymore. It should evolve towards cohabitation instead, especially because many families live on both sides of the Mediterranean and that enhancing mobility is therefore crucial

2 Mr Massimo TOSCHI, representative of PLATFORMA and of Tuscany Region, stressed that the current war events in the Mediterranean are happening at a critical moment for the future of the basin. They come at the same time as peace processes taking place in several Mediterranean countries, such as in Tunisia for example through democratic elections. This is the reason why Tuscany encourages peace processes notably between Israel and Palestine, through the projects it implements in the latter. In order to avoid the spread of extremism and violence, as expressed in Mr Vauzelle s speech, all Mediterranean countries should act together towards peace and not only unilaterally, as conflicts concern all of us. In the Middle East, Tuscany targets its actions particularly towards the Youth via health and education measures. In the Maghreb and more specifically Tunisia, Tuscany has been collaborating successfully, inscribing its actions to enhance the democratisation processes of the country. Tunisia is a great example for the Mediterranean in this matter. Two elements are therefore of primary importance when thinking about collaboration in the Mediterranean. Following the event in Rossore that gathered about 120 young participants, it appears that dialogue from the civil society and from young people should be supported by LRAs. As for religious issues, we should not forget that Christians are also present in Middle East countries while Islam is perceived as dangerous in some other parts of the basin. Profanation of religious symbols is a problem concerning the whole of the Mediterranean and against which actions should be undertaken by all. Lowering barriers in order to build bridges therefore implies creating a new cooperation culture through friendship between and among Mediterranean countries. Cooperation projects can contribute actively towards this enterprise in order to establish a lasting peace without which we would not be able to survive, hence the need to increase the role of LRAs to achieve this end. Session I: TOWARDS A TRANSFORMATION AGENDA OF UNIVERSAL VALUES Mr Martin Guillermo-Ramirez, Secretary General of the Association of European Border Regions (AEBR) and partner of PLATFORMA introduced the session with a brief presentation of PLATFORMA s work and objectives. Regional and local authorities (LRAs) have a long-standing role in implementing development cooperation, but until recently have not recognised at a practical level. During the 6 years of its existence, PLATFORMA has communicated widely to highlight this expertise of LRAs vis-à-vis the EU and present development from a bottom-up perspective through multilevel cooperation in partner countries. PLATFORMA has members from several European platforms and networks, including AEBR and CPMR as well as the regions of Tuscany and Catalonia who played a key role in the first steps of PLATFORMA s action to promote LRAs in development. Keynote Speech: Mr Grammenos Mastrojeni, Coordinator for Environmental Issues, Academic Cooperation, and Territorial Cooperation, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Italian Presidency of the Council of the European Union (Link to PowerPoint presentation) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the role of territories in implementing them is an important issue at stake in the perspective of the Post-2015 Development Agenda. LRAs have a responsibility to understand the objectives and in particular consider environmental challenges. Indeed, regarding climate action, the World Bank has highlighted that a 2% investment of world GDP in mitigation initiatives could save 20% in adaptation investments. Mr Mastrojeni highlighted that the discomfort of human society tends to cause war and that to avoid it, it is important to understand the types of risks: migration, criminal economy, pressures on urban areas, 2

3 conflicts, etc. Among several examples, he referred to the Arab spring, saying that it had a democratic component but also an instability component. It was preceded by a food movement caused by speculation following the drought in Argentina, Australia and the US, that was in itself related to climate change and affected the use of food-producing agricultural land (cereals) and created 8 million new poor. Another example are the pressures from migrants coming to Europe as a result of environmental degradation, desertification etc. These are all challenges that have to be addressed in a short space of time. The new technology of nuclear fusion is presented as a solution to energy problems, but there is no need to wait for this. Activity causing pollution can be divided into segments, for example by making investments in improved management for waste efficiency and reduction. This can lead to a new cycle of growth based on sustainable development. LRAs roll out concrete programmes in their territories under the umbrella of common policies adopted by international bodies and national governments. Their responsibilities are therefore important, as only proximity to people will give results in areas such as technology transfer. Synergy, knowledge and networks are essential steps to achieve results. Mr Guillermo Ramirez recalled that the Post-2015 Development Agenda is a major framework, that will build upon the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Objectives have not been reached and it is important now to look at actions beyond The role and empowerment of Local and Regional Authorities in North-South and South-South cooperation is important for effective actions. As well as bringing expertise and funding from the North to the South, the local and regional level is important in introducing political instruments for actions close to citizens. Mr Davor Stier MEP, Rapporteur on the Post-2015 Development Agenda indicated that the European Parliament was currently preparing a resolution in order to impact the EU common position to be decided at the December Council. The EP s Development Committee was voting on the report on 11 November and was to prepare a resolution by the end of the month. The challenge is to raise awareness of the universality of this new framework, which is applicable to all, South and North alike, and needs to be implemented in both internal and external policies. This can be done in a true macro-region like the Mediterranean which concerns the EU and Southern Mediterranean countries working together. Secondly, policy coherence is needed for success. The new European Commission is avoiding clustering of activities and aiming to be more transversal. A renewed Global Partnership for Action building upon the lessons learnt with the MDGs is essential. Regional and local authorities are not just enablers and implementers; they need to play an active part in the decision-making process. There are questions relating to whether the MDGs have made an impact on mid-income countries, what is clear is that results have not been shared equally with all. The roots of poverty and inequality have not been tackled. As stressed by the European Parliament, this needs to be done in a new framework adopting a human-rights based approach and good governance as central elements, although on this point there is still not a consensus among all countries, notably some emerging countries. Mr Carlo Rossi, Head of the area in charge of decentralised cooperation, Region Lazio shared the same conclusions and added that a preliminary factor to take into account is that there are poor people and poor countries. Some countries have developed in recent years but some remain poor, while a growing number of poor people are emerging in developed countries as well. With regard to human rights, access to drinking water and food are cited as basic rights, but access to clean air (free of pollution) and energy (e.g. where heating is a matter of survival) should also be considered as such. The decision to focus on sustainable development will help to tackle this poverty as well as to achieve goals related to energy for example. 3

4 In terms of what concrete contributions regions such as the Lazio Region can make, it is important to focus on areas of mutual benefit with the objective of promoting sustainable development. For example, the Lazio region has worked with the UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) and with Tunisia to transfer knowhow and expertise in the production of olive oil using non-polluting technology where the waste is used as a renewable energy source and burnt as fuel. Cooperation activities have been carried out therefore to provide machines and training, etc. in order to deploy this technology in the partner country. Another example is cooperation with the Governorship of Rasa. In Italy, social cooperatives designed to integrate handicapped people giving them production skills are a legally recognised entity. Lazio has helped to set up social cooperatives for cheese production, paper production and packaging and the processing of special herbs. This has led to the Tunisian Parliament adopting the notion of social cooperative within its own national legislation. On this point, Mr Guillermo-Ramirez highlighted the importance of regional involvement in the decisionmaking process. Regional authorities are not only be innovative in sharing best practice, but also deal with obstacles regarding legal frameworks. Questions and contributions from the floor: Question from Mr Theodoros Kostis, University of the Aegean (GR): In order to address climate change, investment is needed, which is long-term and risky. However governments and banks are now fighting debt. In this context, what could be the optimum approach to invest in climate change projects? Mr Mastrojeni replied that this issue was not a problem. What is most effective is a combination of smallstep policies and measures eliminating impacts of day-to-day activities, as well as changing social behaviour. This step by step action is more powerful and quicker to implement than big programmes. Mr Stier complemented this answer with the more general question of how to finance development. The first starting point for the EU is for Member States to honour their commitments with 0.7% of GNI. It is also possible to make use of loans and blend sources of funding. The private sector has a role to play here. Financial resources are there but need to be mobilised. We also need clear criteria, focus and priorities to address development goals. Not everything can be financed under the development agenda. The number one priority in Mr Stier s view should be to eradicate extreme poverty (the main priority of the Millennium Development Goals). Contribution from Mrs Monique Petard, Vice-President of Hérault Département (FR): Local governments have been cooperating for over 20 years in the Mediterranean. Authorities from the North and South are engaged in strategies to build joint projects concerning territorial planning. One specific example is the universal vulnerability linked to water resources and coastal zones which is a focus of action by local authorities. However the national and international logic raises questions. We have reached the tipping point where we are exploiting more resources than the planet can provide. National governments and the international community should stop reasoning on the basis of GDP and start looking at the Human Development Index. We need to move away from wasteful economic development and head towards a circular economy. There is currently a dichotomy between the commitment of local governments and the strategy of the EU and States and this needs to change to avoid a situation of paralysis. Contribution by a representative from the Med Programme: Step by step actions by regional and local authorities can be financed through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) where they can have an impact. However, there needs also to be coordination between different funds managed by DG Regio, DG Mare and others in the European Commission etc. to ensure complementarity and produce results that are in line with common goals. 4

5 Contribution by Mrs Rossana Preus, Manager for International Cooperation, Region Emilia Romagna: Firstly, there are problems of consistency to be dealt with when implementing policies. Policies are managed by different institutions with different interlocutors and methodologies. The European Parliament and European Commission need to strengthen coordination in both the political and implementation phases, as failing to do so can cause lack of effectiveness. Secondly, why do donors not impose stronger conditions during the decision-making phase? The involvement of LRAs is essential. In the Mediterranean countries, Regions are willing and able to play a role. They have experience and can make a valuable contribution, but this does not happen. DG Devco of the European Commission should respect the involvement of LRAs in this new phase. The European Parliament and European Commission should ask for more conditions regarding the strategic participation of LRAs, otherwise policies will be too centralised. Contribution by Mr Hamed Abid, Governor of Tunis: Decentralised cooperation remains modest and should be further encouraged. International and decentralised cooperation should adopt a win-win principle as a framework. For example, Italy granted aid to Tunisia with regard to immigration. This benefits both countries and affects a maximum of population. Olive oil production was another example of the winwin approach already mentioned by Mr Rossi. Question from a biologist from the Sapienza University of Rome: On the one hand, tackling poverty needs to be a priority within a policy of sustainable development. On the other hand, the lack of sustainable development can cause poverty at local level, e.g. fishermen affected by pollution caused by climate change where the production on coasts is affected. How can local development projects take into account these two factors? Comments from the Panel Mr Mastrojeni replied on the issue of the Human Development Index to be used to measure the performance of countries. He advocates for an index based on a matrix of four basic elements: economic development, human rights, the environment; and peace and stability. This notion has existed already for many years within international academic circles and notably within the UN Development Programme, in the context of the sustainable development index and more recently the discussions on the Data Revolution. The conclusion of experts is that it is not possible to manage future challenges using only monetary-based criteria. The World Bank is looking in this direction. In Italy, a Quality of Life Index launched last year is being tested. With regard to the link between environmental issues and development, he highlighted that planning for economic and social development is not possible unless based on a healthy and stable ecosystem. Speaking on policy coherence, Mr Stier concurred with the participants raising this issue. With regard to introducing conditionalities (i.e. involving LRAs), this should not just be done in programmes, but should be granted as an overall principle to be respected within the EU and in developing countries. We need to have a pragmatic point of view with regard to financing while living with financial constraints. We cannot solve everything from poverty to climate change. However, in a context of budget cuts we should not be of the opinion that we have done enough because some funding has already been given. To succeed we need to work with universal concepts, refraining from issues that can be divisive (e.g. relationship between religions). We need to be more humble and not impose views on others. As well as advocating universal rights, we need also to look at EU values and what we want to promote at international level. There is debate even within the EU itself on values, and some issues in the EU s fundamental rights are challenged. Above all, we need to be coherent. 5

6 Mr Rossi first commented on climate change action, stressing that it is much harder to take action once disaster has occurred. He referred to Mr Mastrojeni s comments on how action can be segmented and how we can already invent some new behaviours starting now. This will need investment especially in Southern Italy to combat soil pollution for example. Mr Rossi echoed the comments made by the Governor of Tunis regarding the win-win approach to development cooperation. Lazio Region has been taking action for many years in many countries. Besides in Tunisia, action is also being led in Lebanon. Lazio has financed a project with regional resources to help the economic development of poor areas in South Beirut, by establishing an agency for development. This has generated a bigger project with the aim of rationalising investments and widening outreach. Lazio has been working through the national office of UNDP in Lebanon and a group of Italian regions to reduce pressure caused by 1 ½ million Syrian refugees. Lazio also implements actions in Egypt and Morocco with the objective of being present throughout the area. Coordination is key to the success of cooperation initiatives. He cited some priority themes such as: achieving clean air and water; promoting the growth of civil society and social cooperatives; empowerment of women defending them from violence and discrimination; access to primary and secondary education ensuring education for gifted students so they can contribute to society. On this point he stressed that education is a fundamental driver for development, and it is necessary to give value to qualified teaching staff with commensurate salaries. Finally it is important to consider results. The panorama of development cooperation has changed and civil society wants to be actively involved. Democracy is growing in the Southern Mediterranean and there are tangible results, such as the circulation of ideas and freedom of expression. To sum up this first round table Mr Guillermo-Ramirez stressed that programmes launched by the EU are still in place and that the EU institutions are considering not only resources but also targets and priorities taking into account the realities and needs of partner countries. An important issue raised by a number of participants is the crucial role of LRAs in the decision-making process. This is the case in the North in order to better tune programmes, but it is also a necessity in Southern countries in the context of the process of democratisation. In some areas of the Mediterranean, the main priority is to overcome conflict, with important actions led for example in Lebanon on the border with Syria (Turkey also has an important role to play here), and between Palestine and Israel. EU LRAs are exporting their experience of territorial cooperation (e.g. cross-border cooperation) to test European practices in Southern countries. Finally LRAs want the EU to promote the principle of subsidiarity. The Mediterranean provides a perfect playground to define how subsidiarity can be applied in development. Advocacy by LRAs has been successful in gaining recognition of their contribution to development cooperation. We now need to pay attention to the success of the implementation of the programmes. It is important therefore to share the views of the North and South within a common framework. To conclude, Mr Guillermo-Ramirez thanked PLATFORMA for its efforts in promoting this common framework and to Lazio Region for organising the seminar. He thanked the panellists and the audience for the good discussions which had provided much food for thought. Session 2: CLIMATE AND COOPERATION Ms Ana Alós, Coordinator of the Permanent Secretariat of Arco Latino, introduced the session which aimed to present experiences in cities and regions from the North and South of the Mediterranean illustrating how decentralised cooperation can achieve sustainable development for mutual benefit. She 6

7 mentioned that Arco Latino (Association of European Mediterranean provincial governments) is leading cooperation projects with Tunisia and Morocco to enhance capacities on both sides of the Mediterranean. Ms Marta Marin, Delegate of the Basque Delegation to the EU presented the experience in development cooperation of the Basque Country, which is also the lead region of the CPMR External Cooperation Working Group. (Link to PowerPoint presentation). In order to overcome the short-term vision often associated with development aid, the Basque Country is aiming to promote sustainable territorial partnerships to implement long-term tasks. These include a mix of partners (LRAs essentially from the European Mediterranean, UNDP ART, NGOs civil society, etc), and focus on three very different countries with different problems and conditions Lebanon, Ecuador and Montenegro. Cooperation in these countries is demand-driven, with municipalities asking for specific areas of cooperation where the Basques and other partners can offer their expertise. In Ecuador, they are working on capacity building in economic development and the circular economy. This is being transferred into a business model in association with other Ecuadorian authorities and leading to the creation of green jobs. In Lebanon, they are helping to relieve the pressure of Syrian refugees with actions to tackle social cohesion problems, youth unemployment, by providing training and creating job opportunities and also the recovery of water to solve food problems. In Montenegro, action is focused on capacity building in organic farming and eco-tourism. All this work is being assessed and presents an example for capitalisation in light of the post 2015 challenges. Development cooperation can have a strong impact when LRAs and NGOs work in a coordinated manner. It is important to expand knowledge so that successful experiences can be capitalised on and exploited by others. One example of funding sources created by the Basque Government is a water levy where 5% of money from water rates (representing 2.3 million) is devoted to development cooperation to provide training in water management. In the framework of the CPMR External Cooperation Working Group led by the Basque Country, and in association with PLATFORMA, a project on indicators is being launched to assess the impact of decentralised cooperation. Finally the private sector should contribute to projects but also fulfil requirements. To conclude, regional-led cooperation can lead to a development model based on key regional resources. The Basque Country is willing and available to offer its support in providing regional added value to development cooperation. Mr Vicente Fernández Guerrero, Secretary General for Innovation, Industry & Energy, Economy, Innovation, Science & Employment Department, Junta de Andalucía, focused on one aspect of cooperation: smart specialisation, especially in the field of energy efficiency which is an important issue in the Region s political and economic agenda. The priorities behind a renewable energy framework are economic and environmental sustainability. With regard to the Region s 2013 energy plan, Andalucía is reaching targets and results have actually exceeded the expectations of the 2020 strategy in terms of the share of renewables in the energy mix. Regarding the consumption of primary energy, CO2 emissions/kwh were reduced by 20.6%. The Region counts jobs in 780 companies in the renewable energy sector, where photovoltaic and wind power is expanding. Its wide coastline covering both the Mediterranean and Atlantic is ideal for research activities. Companies in the Region are achieving high levels of efficiency and have the potential to be internationalised. Some are already developing their business abroad through the Ministry for Energy. The Energy Agency is involved in 12 projects on renewable energy and energy efficiency. 7

8 The Region s cooperation activities in energy focus on promoting sustainable development, exchange of experience and success stories energy planning is based on 5 pillars: contributing to the smart and efficient use of energy through the use of indigenous resources and the development of auto-consumption systems, considering renewable energies, energy savings, energy efficiency as motors for the economy, guaranteeing of the quality of supply, acting on demand in order for the civil society to be a full actor within the energy system, and optimizing energy consumption of the public sector in Andalucía. The goal is to reduce primary energy consumption by 25% in 2015 and to replace the 25% of energy gross consumption by renewables, while decarbonising consumption by 30% compared to For example, Andalucía is involved in two cooperation projects: 1. Project on smart renewable energy. The 10 million budget is funded under the European funds Operational Programme and Transnational Cooperation Programme. Working with clusters, the project aims to identify objectives in the Med area regarding smart specialisation for energy development, to face the challenges of the global market and strengthen international cooperation and innovation. 2. Project for the transfer of best practices in renewable energy in the economic and legal field between Spain, France, Egypt, Lebanon and Tunisia. The aim is to reach a consensus between the main actors in renewable energy and environmental protection with actions for improving solar energy and capacity building and cooperation between key agencies. The 5 million project is 90% co-financed through the ENPI-CBC programme. In the framework of this programme, Andalucía is organising an international event in Seville to promote cooperation activities in the field of energy and is looking for other partners for example in sustainable construction. Finally, the Region aims to continue its participation in territorial cooperation projects in the Mediterranean promoting more competitive development. He highlighted that the energy sector has a huge impact on climate change and also in terms of developing new technologies for the future. Cooperation in this area offers great opportunities. Mr Mabrouk Kossemtini, President of the Special Delegation of Sfax municipality (Tunisia) representing MedCities explained the context following the revolution in Tunisia. Special delegations have been set up as provisional legal structures to manage towns until the elections in June 2015 following the presidential and legislative elections taking place on 3 November. The Presidents of these delegations have the same competences as town mayors throughout the country. Sfax is the second most important town in Tunisia from an economic point of view. Its main activities are olive oil and mint production, food processing, mechanical and electrical engineering. Its chemical industry established since the 1960 s has nevertheless caused much damage through pollution. Major depollution projects have therefore been and are still being carried out in the area. Sfax is involved in international decentralised cooperation and the identification of projects and their sources of funding. It works with international organisations and twinned towns on issues such as territorial planning, waste management, renewable energy and the rehabilitation of old districts. The municipality has applied to UNESCO to be the Arab Capital of Culture in 2016 and is also candidate for the Mediterranean Games in The municipality believes that sport and culture will allow it to make up for the delay in uncompleted projects. Climate and energy is an area in which Sfax has a number of cooperation projects. The first is the Development Strategy of Grand Sfax (the city and its surrounding district) with the support of the World Bank MedCities and the German Cooperation Agency GIZ. The process began in 2002 with the objective of becoming by 2016 an attractive, competitive, cohesive and sustainable city reconciling its coast. Three priority actions were identified in the strategy: i) Depollution of the south coast and relocation of the chemical industries; ii) energy management and use of renewables; iii) waste management and energy recovery. A second project ( Taparura ) concerns the depollution of the north coast. Following the closure of a phosphoric acid plant in the 90s, depollution was carried out starting in 2006 along 6km of beach, and 420 8

9 hectares were reclaimed from the sea. The project has been selected by the Union for the Mediterranean as an innovative sustainable urban project. A third project concerns the depollution of the South coast where a phosphoric acid and fertilizer plant is still installed. This project aims to establish an integrated coastal zone management strategy in the framework of the SMAP III Tunisia Programme, providing for the protection of wetlands, the rehabilitation of the beach after the closure of the chemical plant and landfill site, and the development of sustainable fishing in a controlled zone. A fourth area of cooperation with the GIZ is energy management. In the framework of the city s strategy, Sfax is focusing on energy efficiency and the promotion of solar energy. It is also identifying avenues for action regarding its carbon footprint (transport, waste management, industry). In this regard, Sfax municipality voted to join the European Union Covenant of Mayors at the end of Mr Mohamed Sadiki, Vice-President of the Region Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaer, Vice-President of the Intermediterranean Commission, indicated that Morocco has taken early action to address the issues of energy and climate change. It has a national strategy for energy efficiency which is rolled out at regional level, notably through the identification of wind farm sites. While Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaer is not able to benefit from wind farm projects because of its topography and geography, it was the first region to sign an agreement with the national agency for renewable energies to implement energy efficiency at regional level. Indeed, the Region had for several years already been promoting practices to reduce energy consumption, for example by introducing incentives to encourage households to use low-energy lighting. Firstly products are sold at attractive price and if households reach the objective of a 20% reduction in consumption they are offered an additional 20% reduction on their energy bill. This initiative has contributed to help reduce the phenomenon of power cuts. At public level, there has been a successful pilot initiative to use LED street lighting in the city of Salé, which is now to be extended to Rabat. The Region also has a cooperation project funded by the SUDeP Programme (Sustainable Urban Demonstration Projects) to produce clean energy from a former household waste tip. Morocco is currently seeking partners to invest in the huge potential in wind and solar power. Regarding wind power, four farms are already in place and another six are being launched simultaneously. There is currently a tender process for another five wind farms for which the results will be known at the beginning of next year. In conclusion, cooperation needs to be encouraged especially at regional level in Morocco since this is the level at which national policy is implemented. In this regard a strengthening of the regionalisation process is currently under reflection in light of the local and regional elections scheduled for June Investment in the southern Mediterranean from neighbourhood partners is essential to promote development and stem the flow of immigration. Question from the floor: Mr Lamine Abbad, Project Officer, Arco Latino Permanent Secretariat asked the Moroccan and Tunisian representatives how they pass on the lessons learned from their experiences of implementing projects within the territory (internal mechanisms, feedback at national level, sharing with other cities, etc)? Comments from the Panel Mr Kossemtini replied that Sfax passes on its knowledge to the benefit of other cities. Indeed, the development strategy of Grand Sfax not only concerns Sfax city but also 6 bordering towns. Within the MedCities network, Sfax is defining a project to extend its own development strategy project to other cities in Tunisia. Eight to ten cities are now ready to draw up their own strategies which include a component on 9

10 climate change and energy efficiency. Sfax is being asked to lead this project given its experience in urban planning. With regard to the implementation of EU cooperation programmes, Mr Sadiki highlighted the benefits felt by the local populations, whether these are small local projects such as the SUDeP project using the landfill site to extract gas for energy, or the large-scale EU-funded depollution programme at national level. Regarding the local energy efficiency project he had mentioned, there had been an initial campaign to raise awareness of the initiative among the local population and once the region had feedback on the results, these were widely publicised to encourage public support. Ms Alós concluded the session by highlighting the important role that regional and local governments play in promoting energy efficiency. It is clear from the debate that there is a tangible desire to cooperate in this area to bring benefits for all parties. GENERAL CONCLUSIONS WRAP UP SESSION Mr Karim Bennour, President of the People's Assembly of the Wilaya of Algiers, ARLEM rapporteur on sustainable urban mobility concluded the morning s debates with his reflections on the future of sustainable development in the Mediterranean in which he highlighted the importance of an integrated and participative approach where the regional and local levels contribute and cooperate within a coherent overall vision. (Link to speech) Conclusion Over the last decades, the Mediterranean basin has increasingly become a complex socio-economic, political and institutional area spanning several geographical spaces and entities, such as EU countries, preaccession and candidate countries, countries involved in EU Southern Neighbourhood Policy, Euro- Mediterranean & multilateral institutions, as well as different sets of sub-national, economic and civil society actors. This diversity of stakeholders de facto represents a variety of local, regional, national, EU and global cultures; as well as of geopolitical situations, strategies and policies. All these share assets but also crosscutting challenges at basin level such as sustainable development in its so-called three dimensions (economic, social and environmental) that concern both European, Euromed and global agendas, including the promotion of Blue Growth; the action on climate change and environmental risks prevention, or the promotion of decentralisation and democratic governance, among many others. In view of these global challenges, it therefore appears crucial to strengthen multi-level and territorial cooperation within the Mediterranean rims, in order to reinforce the assets the area naturally benefits from, while reducing and solving the common challenges it has been faced with over time. The forthcoming global Post-2015 Development Agenda, the EU agenda for the Programming Period, the election of the new European Parliament, the reorganisation of the European Commission, and the Italian Presidency of the EU Council, as well as the increased engagement of Local and Regional Authorities (LRAs) and other stakeholders in EU cooperation (European Territorial and Decentralized cooperation on top); all of these provide an unprecedented opportunity to underscore the urgent need to develop and integrate the Mediterranean as a priority area for action. 10