Jan. 31 – The Intergroup Adriatic-Ionian Committee of the Regions of Europe was recently founded in Brussels. It is a body composed of all political groups in the European Parliament, particularly important fact considering the upcoming formalization of Adriatic-Ionian macro-region in 2014. Today, Brussels held the inaugural meeting of the group, attended by the President of the Marche Region, Gian Mario Spacca (Alde group) who was unanimously elected President, by virtue of the commitment made to the birth of macro-region and for the development of the Adriatic-Ionian strategy. The Greek Apostolos Katsifaras was named vice president (PES group). “The Committee of the Regions – said Spacca – accepted our request to create a place for discussion between all regions and institutions in the area, recognizing the particular moment that all the territories bordering the two seas are experiencing. The Council of the EU has given a mandate to the European Commission to draw up the action plan for the Adriatic-Ionian macro-region by 2014, the year of the presidency of Greece and Italy. The path to the realization of this goal must be accompanied with the full involvement and active participation of regional and local authorities, alongside the Member States. Choral action is therefore needed to support the European Commission in the preparation of the action plan. Only then will the strategy focus on key priorities, thanks to multi-level governance action.”