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project info
Start date: 28 February 2018
End date: 27 February 2021
funding
Fund: European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
Total budget: 1 613 608,00 €
EU contribution: 1 370 566,80 € (84,94%)
programme
Programming period: 2014-2020
Managing authority: Dipartimento Regionale della Programmazione della Regione Siciliana - Presidenza
European Commission Topic

Italo-Maltese harmonization for a good state of the environment: seafloor integrity and interaction with invasive species to preserve the functioning of marine ecosystems

HARMONY aims at harmonising a set of monitoring and control measures between the two cross-border countries, Italy and Malta, in order to share and integrated framework of knowledge and coordinated intervention strategies on: 1) the integrity of marine seafloor and the inhabiting species, 2) the effects of habitat fragmentation in facilitating the diffusion of Non-Indigenous Species (NIS). By integrating these two aspects, HARMONY will reach a better understanding of marine ecosystem functioning in a cross-border context thus resulting: a) integrated interventions and measures of monitoring with the aim to suggest management plans of Natura 2000 sites and habitats. b) set of outputs which will be promoted by HARMONY are integrated to produce a common strategy and develop common EDRR tools (Early Detection & Rapid Response), develop innovative high resolution data recording sensors, or monitoring networks based on participatory processes (e.g. citizen science) that will allow to: - activate control measures to reduce the likelihood of alteration due to the alien species spread and the seafloor integrity at sites of high ecological (biodiversity) and socio-economic value (Nature 2000 sites), - align policy actions between the two countries, - foster the effectiveness of generated management strategies and lastly , - create a common permanent governance structure of Italo-Maltese cross-border EDRR.

Flag of Italy,Malta  Multiple locations, Italy, Malta