The first meeting of the Joint Monitoring Committee of the ENPI “Mediterranean Sea Basin” cross-border cooperation Programme

The first meeting of the Joint Monitoring Committee of the ENPI “Mediterranean Sea Basin” cross-border cooperation Programme, of which the Autonomous Region of Sardinia is Joint Managing Authority, will be held in Cagliari on November 5th and 6th. Mr. Renato Soru, President of Sardinia Region and a representative of the European Commission will introduce the meeting.

15 countries are currently participating in the Programme (adopted by the European Commission on August 14th), including 7 EU member states (Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal) and 8 Mediterranean partner countries (Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestinian Authority, Syria, Tunisia). The Programme aims at promoting cross-border projects between local actors from the two shores of the Mediterranean Sea in the fields of socio-economic development, environmental sustainability, mobility of persons, goods and capitals, cultural dialogue and local governance.

During this first encounter, the Joint Monitoring Committee – decision-making body of the Programme chaired by the Joint Managing Authority and composed by the representatives of the participating countries and the European Commission (observatory status) – will be formally constituted and adopt its own internal regulation. It will have to examine, among others, the working plan and budget 2008-2009 as well as the selection criteria of the projects.