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Meeting of CEI-PD General Committees on Political Affairs and Economic Affairs in Trieste: focus on migration and infrastructure

In order to take stock of the various initiatives aimed at building the most important infrastructure networks in the area and on the path towards EU enlargement, the two General Committees - on Political and Home Affairs, and on Economic Affairs - of the CEI Parliamentary Dimension took place in Trieste on 9 November.
 
On top of the agenda of both meetings was the migration crisis where Sen. Lodovico Sonego, head of the Italian parliamentary delegation to the CEI, called upon the delegations of CEI Member States to make a commitment to study the migration issue in depth and highlighted the need for "a new commitment from Europe and its institutions in this part of the continent”. The Western Balkans are ‘Europe’. The countries of that area share the same destiny Europe does and the question of migration is a clear example.”, Sonego underlined.
 
He also announced he would submit the request to the outgoing and incoming CEI Presidencies, i.e. Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina respectively. ''It might be useful - he said - to study the issue in depth. I am aware that there will be a strong participation from national governments, but I am convinced that a contribution from the Parliamentary Dimension could be important'', he concluded.
 
''Everyone can see that the CEI can do a great job to tackle the migration issue'', said Debora Serracchiani. President of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia Region ''CEI member countries - she added - rightfully belong to the major macro regional European strategies, such as the Alpine macro-region and the Adriatic Ionian Initiative”. She concluded by saying that ''dealing with the migration issue is not a matter of quotas, but of planning actions in all countries involved in health monitoring and in harmonising different ways of managing internal affairs''.
 
According to Ambassador Giovanni Caracciolo di Vietri, CEI Secretary General, "the goal is to promote European integration and in this regard macro-regional strategies are crucial together with actions taken at EU level towards immigration and infrastructure".
 
The morning session was concluded with a speech delivered by the Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Benedetto Della Vedova, directly from Rome: "the CEI is made of EU and non EU Member States able to guarantee fundamental links to establish cooperation relations on priority issues such as migration. It is a space for dialogue and joint initiatives covering political and economic issues.
 
The Economic Affairs Committee included the participation of two coordinators of the Ten-T, transeuropean transport network; Laurens Jan Brinkhorst, for the Mediterranean Corridor e Kurt Bodewig, for the Baltic-Adriatic Corridor. During the meeting Brinkhorst underlined that "the EU resources for the European corridors have tripled since 2014 and both the EBRD and EIB are much more involved." "Since last year the European countries are focusing on a joint work plan in the transport sector. Nine priority intermodal corridors have been identified by EU 28. By 2030, everyone will have to be "compatible".
 
The events were organised within the CEI Pariliamentary Dimension which along with the Governmental and the Business Dimensions, is positioned as one of the three pillars of the CEI. The annual chairmanship of the Parliamentary Dimension rotates according to the annual CEI Presidency
 
  • Programme of the PD General Committee on Political and Home Affairs available here
  • Programme of the PD General Committee on Economic Affairs available here
 

From left: Giovanni Caracciolo di Vietri, CEI SG; Franco Iacop, President of Regional Council -  Friuli Venezia Giulia (FVG); Debora Serracchiani, President FVG; Lodovico Sonego, head of CEI Italian delegation; Roberto Cosolini, Mayor of Trieste - Photo ARC Montenero
 

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