On Wednesday 23/2/22 the Islands and Cohesion Policy Committee of the C.I.C.E. met in a hybrid meeting (in person and via videoconference) with the presence of the President of the C.I.C.E., Mayor of Trikkaion Mr. Dimitris Papastergiou, the Second Vice President, Mayor of Kallithea Mr. Dimitris Carnavos and the Secretary General Mr. Dimitris Kafantaris.
Around 30 island Mayors, as well as Mayors and Members of the Board of Directors of the C.E.D.E. The General Secretary of the Natural Environment and Waters, Mr.Petros Varelidis and the General Secretary of Waste Management Coordination, Mr.Manolis Grafakos, on behalf of the political leadership of the Ministry of Environment and Energy participated in person.
In the first part of the meeting, the activities of the Blue Municipalities Network were presented, which was created in March 2021, coordinated by Aegean Rebreath and includes so far 16 municipalities (Alonissos, Anafi, Antiparos, Zakynthos, Kalamata, Kea, Corfu and the Overseas Islands, Lefkada, Naxos, Paros, Poros, Rafina, Santorini, Syros, Tinos and the Port Funds of Rafina, Santorini and Skyros). The network operates with the kind sponsorship of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.
The meeting was opened by the President of the Islands Commission and Mayor of Kythera Mr. Efstratios Harhalakis who stressed the importance of the project as the environmental issues of the islands are recognized by the EU as top of the policy agenda. The participants provoked an extremely interesting two-hour exchange of views on the problems and needs identified by the Network members. The sole objective was to develop proposals to the relevant ministries and to define the next steps of the Network.
The President of the KEDE Mr. Dimitris Papastergiou stressed the importance and the need to strengthen the Network, while he underlined the will of the K.E.D.E. to actively contribute in this direction. Mr. Varelidis and Mr. Grafakos presented the relevant initiatives of the Ministry of Environment and expressed the view that the Network should be strengthened and expanded within the framework of local government, as there are financial tools that could be used for the protection and sustainable management of the environment, with emphasis on the island area.
The mayors referred to the extremely large problem they face with marine litter and the need to strengthen their efforts in this regard by the central administration. In addition, they referred to the important work of the network and the effective framework of actions that has been developed. The Head of Aegean Rebreath Mr. George Sarelakos highlighted the importance of the meeting as the most typical example of environmental democracy, presented the Network's achievements and referred to the need to strengthen the Network, which to date is based on the excellent cooperation of civil society, municipal authorities and the private sector.
The Islands Committee unanimously decided to submit a recommendation to the Board of the C.E.D.E. for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Blue Municipalities Network. At the same time, it was decided that the municipalities of the Islands Commission should join the Network, while it was also proposed to submit a proposal for the acquisition of a legal entity. In addition, it was decided to collect proposals for the 3 competent ministries (Environment, Shipping and Rural Development), which will be submitted in face-to-face meetings with the competent deputy ministers.
In the second part of the meeting of the Islands Committee, the executives of the E.E.T.A.A. presented the axes on which the Expertise under preparation on «Insularity and the New Programming Period» will move and a useful exchange of views took place. For the preparation of the Expertise, the E.E.T.A.A. will cooperate, through a programmatic contract, with the University of the Aegean and in particular with the Department of Environment, within which the Laboratory for Local and Island Development and the Aegean Sustainable Tourism Observatory operate.
