EUROPEAN AND TURKISH COOPERATIVES DRIVERS OF CSOS ALLIANCES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF COASTAL TERRITORIES

The identification of this project proposal arose from the longstanding relation between the fisheries actors in Rize and the Italian fishery cooperative movement. In fact, Haliéus-ngo working for connecting Italian and foreign cooperatives - together with the Association of Italian Cooperatives Legacoop (representing more than 14000 cooperative enterprises, around 300 from the fishery sector), has established in the last years strong relationships with all the main actors of the fishery sector of Rize and Artvin. A network of actors raging from the Fishery Faculty of the University, the Fishery Cooperatives, to the Union of fishery producers, single processing enterprises, Local Authorities and Ministries, and development associations.In a virtuous circle, new needs and opportunities emerged while implementing previous projects. In this context, the Union of Fishery Cooperatives of Artvin-Rize raised 2 main priorities. From one side, it emerged the need for improving the quality of the cooperative governance as main constraint for members participation in decision making and in territorial development processes. From the other side, the interest toward one success experience of Italian fishery cooperatives: the integration of fishery with the other local economic activities, starting from tourism. This new cross-sector approach to coastal development, in line with the EU Policies and Programs on Fishery, raised the interests of other local actors of development, starting from the “Black Sea Science Technology and Cultural Association”, which entered in contact with the Partnership within the context of UniEuroFish (previous project), and decided to join this new initiative as Partner.The identification of needs drove to the elaboration of this new project proposal relying on the reinforcement of linkages and cooperation between Italian and Turkish cooperatives, for sharing solutions for coastal development preserving fishery heritage as central element. Direct impacts will cover thexccooperatives and CSOs organizational capacities, their preparedness to the participation to EU initiatives, and to the potential Turkish adhesion to EU, while opening new income generating opportunities for involved cooperatives.The Overall Objective is to contribute to the development of a sustainable Civil Society Dialogue between Turkey and EU Member states, facilitating the CSOs’ readiness and involvement in the achievement of the acquis on “Fisheries”. The Specific Objective is to increase the exchanges between the EU and Turkish fishery cooperatives and CSOs committed in the local development of coastal areas, for raising their awareness and building capacities on the EU Programs and Policies on fishery and maritime affairs, valorizing the cultural value of coastal territories in the spirit of the “United in diversity”.