“Ports are strategic infrastructures for eco-friendly transition. They must be able to implement tangible measures to safeguard our sea resource,” said the president of the North Tyrrhenian Port Network Authority, Luciano Guerrieri, in an opening address at an international workshop on the future of sustainability of the Mediterranean and European Seas, organized as part of LIFE4MEDECA, the project funded by the European Union to support the creation of a Controlled Emissions Area in the Mediterranean.
“We have to protect the Mediterranean as part of our common heritage. It is now possible for development and environmental sustainability to go hand in hand, through innovation, research and the growing collaboration between European and Mediterranean partners,” Mr. Guerrieri continued, participating remotely in the event hosted in Rome at the headquarters of the European Commission Representation.
According to the president of the ports of Livorno and Piombino, ports are currently leading the way again in the fight against environmental pollution: “We must give credit to the European Commission for having been able to set up a strategic synergy between Mediterranean countries on such a delicate issue. ”
Mr. Guerrieri also wanted to highlight the role played in LIFE4MEDECA by Livorno Port Network Authority as coordinator of the project and stressed the important financial support provided not only by Italy but also by countries such as France, Netherlands and Spain, all members of the Project Advisory Board.
“We all have a common ambition” – Guerrieri concluded – “which is to provide a real contribution to the complex phase of setting up a Mediterranean area with controlled emissions. It is an arduous challenge that we can, however, try to win: the reduction of environmental pollution is now a priority widely shared by all stakeholders in the logistics chain, and not only. The time has come to take action and devote maximum commitment to supporting the adoption of the ECA area at international level.”
Translation by Giles Foster
