The latest newsletter of our company includes news related to new projects and completed projects.
NEW PROJECTS
Provision of services for the preparation of the performance framework for the Home Affairs Funds of the programming period 2021-2027
Contracting Authority: Internal Fund Unit of the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Cyprus
| The Home Affairs Funds for the programming period 2021-2027 consist of: (a) the Asylum, Immigration and Integration Fund (AMIF), (b) the Internal Security Fund (ISF), and (c) the Border Management and Visa Instrument (BMVI). For the first time, these three Funds are included in the Common Provisions Regulation and Member States have to define the performance framework for each Fund covering all indicators, milestones and targets for monitoring, reporting and progamme evaluation. The performance framework will include: 1. The output and result indicators, defined in the specific Fund Regulation, that have been selected for the programme. 2. The milestones to be achieved by the end of 2024 and the targets to be achieved by the end of 2029 for the output indicators. 3.The baselines and the targets to be achieved by the end of 2029 for the result indicators. |
External Evaluation of the Project “Migrant’s Integration through Volunteering Activities (MIVA)
Contracting Authority: Enoros Consulting Ltd (Cyprus).
The objective of this project is to promote the implementation of interactive activities to increase the integration level of Third Countries Nationals (TCNs)’ participation in the social and cultural life of the host community, the volunteering sector and to foster capacity-building of local communities on successful integration actions for the target group. This will be done via various activities i.e. cross-cultural activities, the INDIGO solidarity platform, capacity building workshops, dissemination activities etc.
The project is implemented by a consortium led by the Municipality of Piraeus (Greece). The other partners are the Organisation Earth (GR), Enoros Consulting Ltd (CY), Indigo Cooperative (FR), Promozione Internazionale Sicilia-Mondo – PRISM (IT), the Foundation for Somalia (PL), the Aar Social Development Association (FN).
The external evaluation will evaluate the results of the project and the achievement of its objectives.
COMPLETION AND APPROVAL OF THE “Ideal EUSAIR” STUDY
The study “Facilitating and fostering the design and implementation of EUSAIR flagship actions and projects in the Adriatic – Ionian macro-region” (Acronym: Ideal EUSAIR) was carried outin the framework of the project “Monitoring and Evaluation of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic-Ionian macro-region (EUSAIR)”, which was assigned, after an international call for tenders, to the Greek consortium comprising LKN ANALYSIS Ltd. and the University of the Aegean. The study was approved by the contracting authority (Greece, Ministry of Development and Investments, National Coordination Authority for the Partnership Agreement, Special Service for Strategy, Planning and Evaluation).
AIM AND OBJECTIVE: The overall objective of the study is to identify important information gaps, needs and opportunities to facilitate and foster the design and implementation of EUSAIR Flagship actions and projects in the Adriatic – Ionian macro-region relevant to Pillar 1 “Blue Growth”.
The methodological approach included a combination of tools such as desk research (literature review) and fieldwork including the organisation of an online survey, addressed to the relevant Blue Growth stakeholders operating in the region, and four thematic focus groups (Blue Technologies, Fisheries, Aquaculture, Maritime and Marine Governance and Services).
The main outcomes and findings of the study are as follows:
MAPPING THE EUSAIR PILLAR 1 “BLUE GROWTH” STAKEHOLDERS: According to the research carried out, there are currently 579 relevant stakeholders operating in the Blue Growth sector in the Adriatic – Ionian macro-region. Those stakeholders can be classified according to the quadruple helix model, as follows: Government (148), Academia (250), Industry (99), and Civil Society (82).
PROPOSED PRIORITIES AND AREAS FOR FUTURE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT IN THE BLUE GROWTH SECTOR
The main priorities for the Blue Technologies sector, in the programming period 2021-2027, are the facilitation of an easier access to finance and promotion of the creation of start-ups, and the increase of networking between researchers, SMEs and clusters. The vast majority of the participants in the survey stressed that the main areas for project implementation in the sector must be the development of novel eco-friendly products that serve circular economy, the development of educational and training programs to support the development of skilled human capital on Blue Technologies, the promotion of blue skills, the reinforcement of networking, knowledge sharing & creation of databanks, the development of a “cloud environment”, for facilitating the matching between researchers and institutes and companies, and for setting up a scheme for supporting researcher mobility and the development of innovative eco-friendly solutions for electricity generation from the sea waves, currents, thermal energy of the sea, wind, etc. for coastal and island regions.
The Fisheries sector must focus on the priority of better management and sustainable exploitation of fish stocks along with compliance & implementation of measures to combat IUU practices, while the Utilization of Unwanted and Unavoidable catches and discards is, also, considered an important priority. The development of a strategy for small-scale fisheries is considered an important area for project implementation by the total of the participants in the survey. Actions to improve traceability, certification, harmonization of legislation and plans to improve professional skills of fishermen, the development of fishtourism and ichthyotourism (diversification activities) are also considered important areas for project development in the Fisheries sector.
Important priorities for the Aquaculture sector are the creation of new jobs, the improvement of the environmental footprint of aquaculture and the compliance of the non-EU countries with EU Acquis, and the harmonization of aquaculture standards follows. The survey underlines as important project implementation areas the actions to improve the quality of the final product and the traceability, the harmonization of legislation, the actions to promote the industry and improve the image of aquaculture products and the actions to improve skills for the aquaculture sector.
The main priorities for Maritime and Marine Governance and Services include enabling the sustainable Blue Growth development of coastal and island communities, improvement of the governance of maritime space and creation of appropriate tools and services to improve the management capacity of competent authorities, strengthening networks establishment of academics, training organisations and professional organisations of maritime sectors at macro-regional level and improvement of skills and career development in the Blue Economy.
The main project implementation areas identified are the development of climate change adaptation plans for coastal and island regions, the development of circular economy projects in ports and coastal and island regions, the improvement and clarification of the legal framework for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and the implementation of the new Directive on Maritime Spatial Planning.
KEY POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS: The survey results combined with the outcomes of the Focus Groups allow drafting brief key policy recommendations, which could be used in order to provide guidance to the Managing Authorities and other bodies involved in the design of the programming period 2021-2027. Those recommendations summarize the main directions for the approval, under the new programmes, of projects relevant to the EUSAIR priorities. In addition, they include a list of indicative projects or group of projects which could be compatible with the EUSAIR objectives for each one of the Pillar 1 priorities approved as Flagships and Actions by the EUSAIR Governing Board
PROPOSED PROJECT IDEAS: The Ideal EUSAIR study identifies a total of 30 potential project ideas, 17 in the topic of Blue Technologies, 7 in Fisheries and Aquaculture and 6 in Maritime and Marine Governance and Services. Among them two cross-pillar project ideas are presented in the topic of Blue Technologies. Each project idea includes a brief description of the potential project and its significance, its relevance with the Pillar 1 Flagships as well as the potential stakeholders and sources for funding. All projects presented were discussed in the respective focus groups organised in the framework of the Ideal EUSAIR study. The list of the project ideas comprises a pool of potential Blue Growth projects for the new programming period, providing the Thematic Steering Group for Pillar 1 “Blue Growth” the opportunity for project selection according to its priorities and following the project production processes.