Today the first edition of a series of digital events - "Rhine Alpine Talks" - organised by the EGTC (European Grouping for Territorial Cooperation) Interregional Alliance for the Rhine-Alpine Corridor, for an exchange of experiences and information amongst the stakeholders of the multimodal corridor Genoa-Rotterdam, was launched.
Moderated by the Director of the EGTC, Jörg Saalbach, the speakers addressed the topical issue of "Corona and the Corridor". Christianne van der Wal, President of the EGTC and of the Dutch People's Popular Party for Freedom and Democracy, opened the discussion with a focus on the strategic importance of adopting a common approach to best-practices to overcome the Covid-19 crisis. Alberto Pozzobon, of the Communications and Marketing Staff of the Ports of Genoa, illustrated the extent of the impact of the global pandemic on international maritime transport, with a case study of the Western Ligurian Sea Ports, the Mediterranean gateway of the corridor, and an outline of the range of infrastructure projects, in part funded by the Genoa Emergency Law investment programme, currently underway in the Ports of Genoa, Savona and Vado Ligure.
The Dutch member of the European Parliament, Caroline Nagtegaal, provided an updated report on how the measures and strategies, proposed by the EU to face the challenges of the Coronavirus emergency, are set to lay the foundations for a more sustainable Europe across a wide range of innovative smart environmental and transport schemes.
The next appointment of the Rhine Alpine Talks is scheduled for 11 September and will provide a discussion on the topic "Green Corridor".