Joining the European Union (EU) is a key political goal for all Western Balkans Countries (WBC), including Montenegro and Albania. Montenegro obtained the status of EU Candidate Country, while Albania is awaiting a decision on its request. To join the EU, both countries must meet many environmental criteria, in addition to others. Indeed, the environmental criteria are crucial in this process. This project (acronym: MEP&M) focuses on issues regarding the protection of marine and coastal zone environments from global climate change and local/regional pollution issues in both Montenegro and Albania. The Blue economy sector in these countries is marked as the most influential on the local and regional source of marine pollution as well as a contributor to global climate changes. The latest European Commission’s 2019 Annual economic report on Blue economy included economic activities that are: marine-based, including those undertaken in the ocean, sea, and coastal areas, such as capture fisheries and aquaculture, offshore oil and gas, offshore wind energy, ocean energy, desalination, shipping and marine transport, and marine and coastal tourism; and marine-related activities which use products and/or produce products and services for the ocean and marine-based activities. The Blue economy also includes those parts of the public sector with direct coastal and ocean responsibilities (national defense, the coast guard, marine environmental protection, etc.), as well as marine education and research.
The Blue economy sector in Montenegro and Albania is recognized in the EU Strategy for Adriatic Ionian Region (EUSAIR). These activities are mostly related to the coastline and open seas, such as offshore energy, including renewable (wind) and fossil fuels (oil&gas), shipping and marine transport, and marine and coastal tourism, yachting and marinas, port activities, shipbuilding, and repair, coastal planning and environmental protection of coastal and sea region. Some of these activities are developed to some extent, while others are just emerging, and all in some matter make an influence on marine and coastal environment in South Adriatic and North Ionian seas.
Concerning the topic of this project, Montenegro and Albania will support the following activities: developing the professional capacities in the field of maritime environmental protection and management; supporting the process of regional cooperation in public, private, NGO, education, and research sectors. The consortium sees the need to develop a new regional joint interdisciplinary master program in maritime environmental protection and management (MSc in MEP&M) for graduated BSc students, professionals from governmental (related to marine environment protection), and Blue economy sector enterprises (including port authorities, pollution control officers, inspectors, government officials, salvors, managers, masters, engineers, fleet supervisors, seafarers, shipowners, legal managers), and other professionals who seek for specific knowledge in the field of MEP&M. At the same time, countries like Montenegro and Albania are seeking for those professionals with the knowledge, experience, and skills in the field of marine environmental protection who will be able to manage environmental issues, be able to take part in future negotiations toward EU membership and help in achieving national environmental goals.
Support from EU HEIs, through CBHE support, is equally required for the University of Montenegro, the Aleksander Moisiu University of Durres, and University “Ismail Qemali” of Vlore in order to develop an innovative and first of kind regional joint interdisciplinary master program:
in the topic of MEP&M (or similar).
Number of visits : 585