• Programi i Qeverise 2009-2013
• Plani i Integruar i MMPAU (2009)
• Strategjia ndersektoriale e Mjedisit
• Strategjia dhe Plani i veprimit per biodiversitetin
• Strategjia per zhvillimin e pyjeve dhe kullotave
• Strategjia e peshkimit
• Strategjia dhe plani kombetar i veprimit per zbatimin e konventes se Aarhus-it

For each port, whether small or big, dredging campaigns are a necessary cost to be paid for enable commercial, fishing and marina’s activities. Beyond the economic cost, the environmental impacts can be of great importance for the surroundings of the port.

Small ports face two difficulties that bigger ports can address more easily, meaning optimizing the cost of dredging and limiting its effects on the port ‘surroundings environment.

Local ports in Europe are subject to different marine conditions depending on their geographical situation and to European and national legislations that impact the way they address the issue of dredging.

Through SuPorts, the small ports involved have exchanged their good practices and also met bigger ports through different events of different European projects and a core workshop in Piombino in October 2012.

The work carried out has led to focus on several sub-issues applied to sustainable dredging:

-      How to better manage dredged material

-      How to reduce the cost of dredging campaigns

-       Understanding and comparing national legislation

The best practices identified have shown many ways to deal with Sustainable dredging. These have shown for instance in the case of the Seine-Maritime County Council ports that national legislation could enable port authorities to organize together joint public procurement procedure to reduce the cost of dredging campaigns. Provided by the University of Thessaloniki, best practices have shown innovative ideas for land reclamation and rehabilitation of a polluted seabed in the port of Thessaloniki as well as the successful beneficial use of dredged material in the port of Piraeus, minimising in parallel the release of pollutants by using devices such as an environmental grab dredger and silt curtains.

Portos de Galicia has described its reflections undertaken to review its dredged material disposal sites organization to avoid both dispersed pollution and reduce bureaucratic burden when having too many disposal sites and authorizations to obtain.

The Port authority of Piombino through the writing of a publication, some other Italian ports’ good practices examples provided by ISPRA or by the Klaipeda State Seaport Authority have enabled the partnership to get a thorough overview of the methodologies, techniques and ideas that ports can have in order to face the issue of sustainable dredging.

Finally, the Seine-Maritime County Council has produced a study financed through the SuPorts project to understand the conditions of sedimentation in its port and identify solutions to limit it. A methodological guide describing the study’s methodology has been shared with the SuPorts partners.

A dedicated handbook included in the SuPorts final Scrapbook compiles all these practices and results and will be available to all ports interested in the topic.

Given its coastal access and Mediterranean climate, Sarandë has become an important tourist attraction since the fall of communism in Albania.

The new port of Igoumenitsa is one of the most important ports of the European Union as a category A port, which includes all ports of international importance.

Corfu is one of the prime tourist destinations of Greece mainly due to its beautiful green countryside and spectacular beaches.

ENHANCING JOINT ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIONS AT THE PORTS OF THE CROSS BORDER AREA OF CORFU-IGOUMENITSA-SARANDE

LP1 is the main port of Kerkira's Island and it is among the ports of international importance,with special emphasis on strengthening  the development of tourism and commerce in the island of Corfu. LP1 in addition to its passenger and commercial operation, has a very important tourist operation. Also serves the ship lines between–Corfu-Italy and Corfu–Saranda. The dynamic development of the Port of Corfu is closely related to the future development tendencies of the wider area.The Port of Corfu SA is the operator of all port activities and was established in 27/6/2001. It has a total of 10 staff.The organizational structure consists of:Board-President, Managing Director , Manager,Managing Board.The Areas of responsibility consists of the following Departments:Services and Development,Technical Services, Administrative and Financial Servicesand the Offices of Legal Advisor and Internal Auditor.

The Port of Saranda (LP2) is the main port of South East Albania  and operates  as passenger and commercial port.There is a 60 square meters  ships dock for ships and  hydrofoils  coming from Corfu. The  depth of the sea at this point is  3.5 m.  The cruise ships now “anchoring” at the open  sea.During the summer except  the regular line and there are additional daily cruises from Corfu to Saranda  carrying out tourists (up to 500 daily).  The port Terminal at Saranda is a total of 130 square meters, divided into 2 levels. At the lower level, there is the customs-passport control, while at the upper level  is the lobby and the entrance to the terminal.There is no elevator for the handicapped  and elderly passengers.The total staff consists of 47 persons, of which 15 are Office staff, 12 are Security staff and   20 are workers.The EXPANSION PLANS related on the creation of a new 120m expansion of the ship dock and the depth will become 9m.

The new Port of Igoumenitsa was inaugurated on September 19th 2003. It’s located in the southern side of the ground marine belt, outside the city’s urban area, near the village Ladochori. It occupies a total area of 21 hectares from which 13 hectares are harbor area, while 8 hectares have been given for road construction, parking spaces for private cars and trucks, refuelling stations etc. The new Port provides 5 mooring spaces for Ro-Ro ships, of international ferry routes, twelve piers with the ability of simultaneous mooring up to 7 ships with adequate ground space.

As concerns partners experience, it worths mentioning that LP1 and P3 have taken part in several EU programs either on the IPA Adriatic GR-IT, FP7, MED and TEN (Trans European Network).These are α) APC – THE ADRIATIC PORT COMMUNITY,b) FAROS – FOR ADVANCEMENT RESOURCING AND ORGANIZATION OF SEAFARERS,γ) GAIA – GENERALIZED AUTOMATIC EXCHANGE OF PORT INFORMATION AREA d)NETLAM – NETWORK OF THE LOWER ADRIATIC MARINAS e)PELAGOS f)SECINS showing capacity in managing such projects.LP2 has no experience in EU funded programs and is for the first time taking part in EU funded projects.

Sustainability is the capacity to endure. In ecology, the word describes how biological systems remain diverse and productive over time. Long-lived and healthy seaways and atmosphere are examples of sustainable biological systems. To this extent,all project partners are committed to reduce air pollution, greenhouse gases, conserve energy and water resources through their activities taking into account the most significant environmental convention of MARPOL73/78. Their support includes conducting water and air quality measurements and land use planning, providing recreational opportunities, preserving open space and wildlife.All actions to be made in the project, beginning from the adoption of common practices and approaches (WP3), the certified environmental management system and the actions taken and supplies made to reach this (WP4),the after life communication plan and activities such as the Environmental Information Centre (WP6), WebSite (WP2) and Environmental Information System (WP5) show partners committment to creating a sustainable project and ensure mid-/long term stability of results.It worths also mentioning that the project is planned to have a long life duration.Thus,both partners will try to reassure its after-life implementation by 1)daily operating the Environmental Information System, renewing the content, 2)constantly operating the Website together with the Environmental Information System, 3)enriching its content, updating legislation,uploading studies and best practices,keeping up with exchanging knowledge via the forum/mail/etc, 4)trying to get real-time environmental measurements through the installation of the respective equipment 5)yearly renewing of EMAS registration and Environmental Management practices, 6)expanding water flow meter network, either with own funds or with raising EU funds from other ERDF programs.

The expected outputs of the project are:

1) a website-forum (with provisions for disabled people accessibility-W3C), where content relevant to general environmental aspects as well as information about the area will be uploaded, all the joint activities and practices to be implemented will be disseminated, exchange of experience and transfer of knowledge will be communicated and questions-answers by stakeholders will be submitted and problems will be highlighted.
The items to be covered are:
the promotion and dissemination of common environmental practices, co-operation between the ports, information on progress monitoring and control of environmental programs, public awareness about local community environmental activities and actions taken by each port, submission of questions, comments and discussions from the local community and interested parties, library of environmental  law and other legislation relating to port operations,environmental news and best practices;

2)training courses for the port staff,designed to meet the needs of professionals involved in the proper,implementation of environmental management;

3)a common method for reporting on joint environmental projects,developed in order to support each port in the implementation of the joint environmental policy;

4)equipment and operations to facilitate the monitoring, control and management of solid-liquid waste and air pollution–noise;

5)equipment and operations that will be supplied in order to reduce energy consumption,and equipment tailored to control and monitor natural resources waste (water flow meter),

6)equipment for fire extinguishing systems to be used for the efficient management of emergency situations;

7)Environmental Management Systems will be developed and installed in ports, leading eventually to certification and EMAS registration;

8)Center for Environmental Information and Education that will contributes to the diffusion of environmental actions and to the public awareness

In general, the overall expected results of the projects are foreseen to be the following:

1)the consensus that will be reached by the project partners with respect to the environmental issues arising in the area,providing a clearer focus on the protection, conservation and sustainable use of the area’s marine environment with a view to sustainable development;

2)the enhancement of joint environmental actions that will also take into account human activities;

3)the prevention of environmental accidents by means of coordinated actions,such as:the installation of proper equipment for water management, the supply of depollution float dam, the proper measurement of air and seawater quality, the planning of emergency situations, the adoption of improved energy efficient systems and the installation of fire extinguishers;

4)the implementation of infrastructure works, as planting trees and extensive road works along the marine for noise reduction;

5)a significant raise in the quality of living standards for residents of the town and the region near the ports;

6)raised levels of awareness and stimulation of both local people and visitors/tourists (summing up to more than 1,4 million per year only in Corfu Port Authority) about environmental issues via the web forum, information leaflets, conferences and, finally, the establishment of an Environmental Information Kiosk at Corfu Port; the latter will provide useful information about the local climate, environmental actions taken by each port, environmental news, location of recycling bins in the area, etc,

7)a considerable improvement of the environmental performance by means of the certification for the Environmental Management System;

8) the development of the Environmental Information System used to electronically manage and control sea water/air, etc. measurements, to measure water pipe flows, to facilitate experience exchange, to transfer knowledge via e-libraries and the forum, to provide historical data to the general public etc.