To learn, to share and communicate. These are key words for Insulae, the first meeting-event-conference about maritime policies on a local and international scale, organised by Tuscany and ANCIM, an association which represents Italy’s small island municipalities.

This initiative aims to inform about the Tuscan sea area and minor islands system, and also to glance at northern Europe and the Mediterranean. In the extraordinary setting of Elba and the whole Archipelago, this is an event which relates and represents amazing facts: five days of cultural events, an opportunity to promote and discover the territory, but also moments of thought and deeper insight with which to start giving strategic and long lasting answers to improve the quality of life of the islands’ citizens.

Excellence and fragility are in fact these are the islands’ daily tasks and the European Union is working in this direction, recognising the islands’ difficulties and investing energies, actions and financial resources. A new challenge is coming up for our country: in 2010 the Mediterranean will be a free market area and we cannot avoid playing a strategic role in this international framework.

Insulae will be a window for the inlands’ inhabitants, operators and administrations; a chance to learn and share the continental maritime policies; an event to give Italy the opportunity to talk about the Euro-Mediterranean, a possibility for Elba and the Tuscan Archipelago to promote themselves as venues for discussing and developing these policies in the near future.

More information www.insulae.eu