CMN presented its project in the Political Bureau meeting of the CPMR Intermediterranean Commission located in Cartagena

The Intermediterranean Commission (IMC) is an interregional organization at European and Mediterranean level, to which the Region of Murcia belongs. The IMC was established in the heart of the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR) and it is composed by 44 regions from nine countries.

The Region of Murcia, and specifically the Technical University of Cartagena, has been the place chosen for the meeting held of the IMC Political Bureau on 14th and 15th February. It is composed by 21 political representatives from the 44 member regions and territorial cooperation project partners called "Panoramed", headed by the Spanish Treasury. This project aims to create a platform, in which ministries and regional authorities of the 19 Euro-Mediterranean states participate, in order to identify challenges from coastal areas, and set up common solutions to make The Tourist Industry a sustainable activity by preserving the environment welfare as well as the maritime security.

Mr. Fernando López Miras, the President of the Region of Murcia, was in charge of the opening. Among attendees were seven regional presidents, six vice-presidents, regional counsellors, general secretaries and general presidents from the above-mentioned regions.

On Wednesday some previous meetings of the thematic workgroups, constituted by this organization, were held. In particular, the Transport and Integrated Maritime Policy group included sessions on Transports (which was coordinated by the government of Murcia), Blue Economy, Fishing, Aquiculture, and the initiative for sustainable development of the coast called “Bologna Charter”.

Meanwhile, the Territorial Cooperation and Macro-Regional Strategies Group addressed the territorial cooperation in the Mediterranean future and analyzed initiatives related with neighborhood policies. The CEIR Campus Mare Nostrum (CMN), an International Campus of Excellence in the European Context, composed of the University of Murcia and the Technical University of Cartagena in conjunction with research centers, public administrations, international organization, technology parks and companies of the Region of Murcia, was given as an example of vital element for the economic and social development of Region of Murcia in the Mediterranean zone.

The director of International Relations Area of the University of Murcia, Mr. Matías Balibrea González, presented the different activities and projects that CMN has accomplished since 2009. He also highlighted, among several others the following ones:

• “From Strengthening to Excellence in the Mediterranean”. This project was presented in 2015 to the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport that financed it with €240 000 and it has helped to develop actions that reinforce the teaching and research excellence.
• The Erasmus Mundus EU-Mare Nostrum project, with €3 199 000 in funding, made possible the mobility of 196 students, doctors and administrative staff among Europe and the Mediterranean area universities, as well.

Campus Mare Nostrum (after getting renewed the Seal of Quality and Recognition as International Campus of Excellence in the European Context by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport in Spain) has been working in order to be identified as an International Reference Centre for Knowledge and Research Transference in the Mediterranean.

Finally, on 15th February the meeting of IMC Political Bureau took place with ‘Panoramed’ partners, as well as the study of initiatives dealing with the future of Mediterranean cooperation, maritime and coast sustainable tourism, and migration and governance policies at different levels, among other issues.