Building on the achievements of the previous NAMIRS project, a new transnational effort aimed at protecting the Adriatic Sea was officially launched on September 24th at the Central European Initiative (CEI) headquarters. The "Adriatic Sensitive Areas Protection Mechanism (ASAP)" project brings together 9 core partners and 7 associated partners from six Adriatic nations—Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Italy, Montenegro, and Slovenia. The project's central focus is to strengthen the protection of the Adriatic Sea by addressing the risks of accidental pollution resulting from maritime accidents.
Led by the CEI-Executive Secretariat, the ASAP project builds upon the expertise gained from the NAMIRS initiative, which focused on the Northern Adriatic, and expands its scope to include the southern Adriatic countries. This collaborative effort aims to establish a unified and coordinated strategy for managing marine pollution risks, safeguarding this vital shared resource across the region.
A central element of the project involves organizing two major sea-based exercises—one in the Northern Adriatic and one in the Southern Adriatic. These exercises will provide essential opportunities for stakeholders to collaborate, test equipment, and implement standardized operating procedures (SOPs) for responding to potential marine pollution incidents. The exchange of experiences during these exercises is seen as crucial to improving real-world response effectiveness, ensuring that teams across the region are ready to act swiftly and in coordination when needed.
At the first project meeting, partners engaged in fruitful discussions regarding upcoming activities, with an emphasis on consolidating existing knowledge and creating a sustainable framework for future cooperation. There was widespread agreement that continuous data sharing, regular procedure updates, joint training sessions, and coordinated exercises will remain vital even after the project concludes. To formalize future collaboration, the project includes plans to adopt a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will ensure the sustainability of these efforts.
This important initiative, co-financed by the Interreg IPA ADRION Programme with a total budget of €1,413,387, is set to run until February 2027, providing a strong foundation for the long-term protection of the Adriatic Sea.
By fostering deeper regional cooperation and shared responsibility, the ASAP project—aligned with the ASOSCoP Flagship project of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic Ionian Region—marks a significant step toward preserving the Adriatic's ecological health for future generations. Mr. Iztok Škerlič represented the FP EUSAIR project and the co-coordinators of EUSAIR TSG 3 Quality of Environment Pillar at the meeting, highlighting EUSAIR's role in supporting both the NAMIRS and ASAP projects. The Municipality of Izola also contributes as an associate partner in the initiative.
