The Sardinia Region has been appointed Managing Authority for the period 2021-2027 of the Interreg Next Med program, the important initiative funded by the European Union, which involves 15 countries, for cooperation in the Mediterranean area. Sardinia was designated by a large majority, with 9 votes out of the eleven of the representatives of the task force responsible for preparing the program, overcoming the competition from Greece.
“It is the recognition – comments the president of the Region, Christian Solinas – of the central role that our island plays in a scenario with enormous potential towards a development that must be channeled respecting, in a solidarity sense, a balance between the different areas. A need felt even more today in a difficult time for the global economy, marked by an unprecedented health emergency.
The choice of Sardinia as the guide of the Interreg Next Med program also represents a great certificate of reliability that is given to us by the EU Commission and by all the participating countries, to which our deep gratitude goes.
We strongly believe in a Europe of peoples, of autonomies, which listens to the requests of each territory, close to citizens and ready to intervene in support of less favored areas. A commitment that we already carry out, precisely in the Mediterranean area, with the other island regions, in a cooperation platform created to represent before the European institutions the claims of territories penalized by a series of geographical and structural disadvantages that slow down growth and Development”.
The Interreg Next Med program is the third cycle of the EU-funded cooperation initiative in the Mediterranean area, which is expected to be presented to the European Commission by summer 2021. The aim is to create – Algeria, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Jordan, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Malta, Palestine, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia and Turkey – a strong and sustainable partnership to address common challenges such as job creation and youth inclusion , climate change and economic integration.
