Afterwords

Anna Laura Palazzo

At the crossroads of three continents, the Mediterranean basin is home to nearly 7% of the population and accounts for 8% of primary energy consumption in the world. By 2040, this condition is expected to further increase, under the double effect of a strong population growth (+105 million inhabitants compared to 2013) and economic expansion (+ 2.3% per year). All coastal countries are committed to compelling climate change and energy transition issues, as well as to environmental issues specific to the Mediterranean basin, acknowledged as a major biodiversity hotspot hosting 15,000 to 25,000 plant species, 60% of which are unique to the region, 1,912 species of amphibians, birds, cartilaginous fishes, endemic freshwater fishes, crabs and crayfish, mammals, dragonflies and reptiles, 19% of which are threatened with extinction (IUCN, 2008). Despite such shared commitments, several processes are at work that hinder a common vision, such as legal frameworks and jurisdictions of the Mediterranean countries as well as the protagonism of city ports provided with important logistical connections directly negotiating huge advantages with their counterparts. However, the eclipse of institutional networks of a regional governance able to effect the ecological transition within Mediterranean societies, exposes the Natural and Social Capital to high risk. As wished by influential studies, a shared political and diplomatic Mediterraneanbased action could lead the United Nations to formally recognize the Mediterranean basin as an area with a precise identity, homogeneous and interconnected albeit complex and fragmented, whose problems, ambitions and goals are specific to 'macro-regions'. Such acknowledgement would certainly incept more stable cooperation arrangements addressing the main criticalities and shaping a coherent governance road-map, linking flexible institutional planning tools and decision-making, for the years to come. The main challenges from now to year 2030 concern the extension to 30% of the sea surface protection deemed crucial to perform best connections among the MPAs in view of their effective management. In coupling economy and environment, the urge to share knowledge, experiences, tools, results and even failures is crucial to promote a Mediterranean Blue Economy transition, as stressed by Plan Bleu (UN Environment/MAP Regional Activity Centre, 2020). In turn, the Interreg Med TUNE UP project contends that environmental protection should rely upon a twofold approach. On the one hand, protection policies urge for an upscaling including all the MPAs in order to overcome fragmentation in their management and remoteness from decision-making; as a

matter of fact, ecological connectivity is brought about by fish and bird migration routes irrespective of boundaries and human activities. On the other hand, the reasons for environmental protection are to be rooted in human communities, raising awareness both in insiders and outsiders of the values to be preserved and enhanced on the spot. The MPA Contract stem from previous experience of river contracts, voluntary commitments undertaken by various public and private entities in various capacities interested in environmental restoration and socio-economic regeneration of water systems. In the TUNE UP pilot areas, the participation process was incepted and performed until the signature of the Memorandum of Understanding. Hopefully, in most cases awareness raising and motivation from stakeholders will be supportive to the forthcoming phase and the Action Plan.