Adriatic Ionian Euroregion

The Adriatic Ionian Euroregion (AIE) is an association established on the 30th of June 2006 in Pula (Croatia) for the promotion of transnational and interregional cooperation between regions and local authorities of the Adriatic and Ionian basin countries. Today the association counts 29 members (Regional and Local governments from Italy, Greece, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Albania). All members are units of territorial self-governments and most of them are NUTS2 (the first level below State, in conformity with the European Community nomenclature NUTS, and with the administrative organization of each country). The AIE is a non-profit-making association, which represents a model for cross-border and interregional co-operation aimed to promote the coordinated and integrated development between regions of the area. The total extension of the involved territories is about 200.000 square kilometers with an estimated population of around 20 Millions of inhabitants. The AIE goals can be synthesized into the protection of the cultural heritage, protection of the environment, sustainable economic development in the field of SMEs, tourism, fishery, transports and infrastructures, social affairs. Furthermore the association supports the members, especially those in the European accession process, to create joint initiatives and to prepare the regional stakeholders to be qualified in the implementation of the cohesion policy and to deal with the European financial instruments. Another important aim is to support the European citizenship through actions that promotes the involvement of citizens by developing their sense of European identity and appreciating multilingualism and multiculturalism as common European heritage. In particular the AIE members achieve their activities pursuing the following objectives: • to establish and to develop mutual relations between inhabitants and institutions of this territory as precondition for the improvement of knowledge, understanding and collaboration; • to create the conditions for the economic development respecting the environment; • to determine common interests of development, preparation, definition and harmonization of a common development strategy; • to achieve the cultural exchange programmes; • to ensure the conditions for an effective exchange of experiences and implementation of EU programmes. The AIE bodies are: the President, the Assembly, the Executive Board and the Supervisory Board. The association has 7 committees, working on respective thematic: 1. Commission for Tourism and Culture 2. Commission for Fisheries 3. Commission for Transport and Infrastructure 4. Commission for Environmental protection 5. Commission for Social Affairs 6. Commission for Productive Affairs 7. Commission for Institutional Affairs Each Commission has its own yearly Working Programme – coordinated by its President or Vice presidents. The aim of the Commission's meeting and work is to define joint initiatives, proposals and projects in the Adriatic-Ionian area.