Concept note
The Euro-Mediterranean region consists currently of 780 million of consumers and accounts for around 6 trillion US dollars in trade turnover. More importantly, it has the potential of becoming an area of economic and financial integration with relevant implications for enhanced stability, peace and sustainable development at the pan-European level and in the world. However, major challenges remain for the region to achieve inclusive and sustainable growth and creating jobs and prosperity. To this purpose, the decisive factor is investment, the financing of investment, and the overall policy environment that supports long term private sector investment, infrastructure and small and medium enterprises.
The Mediterranean area is now much more central for the world geo-economy. For example, China’s Belt & Road Initiative for the Mare Nostrum is worth over 1000 billion US dollars. Moreover, Germany and other big exporters have shown growing interest towards Africa. In this dynamic and challenging scenario, Italy has the concrete opportunity to play a fundamental role and become a strategic “bridge” between the Northern and the Southern shore of the Mediterranean. As it emerges from the 2017 “SRM Annual Report on Economic Relations between Italy and the Mediterranean Region”, the commercial exchange between Italy and the area has grown by more than 50% over the last few years despite the socio-political upheaval in some countries on the Southern shore and an economic down-turn not yet completely overcome.
History teaches us that a secure and stable Mediterranean Region means a secure and stable Europe. By contrast, fragility in the Mediterranean holds risks not only for the people of the region but for everyone who calls Europe home, as it touches on different critical fronts such as migration, the environment, energy safety, climate change and international economic and financial cooperation. The dialogue between the financial communities of the Euro-Mediterranean region, and stakeholders, can significantly contribute to such cooperation.
For this reason, the Italian Banking Insurance and Finance Federation (FeBAF), is launching the 1st Euro-Mediterranean Investment Forum, which aims at stimulating a constructive dialogue among all the relevant players and stakeholders of the financial services industry in the region, involving also energy providers, industry, policymakers, as well as academics, think-tanks and international organizations in order to contribute to the following goals:
- foster closer ties between the network of financial communities (banks, insurance companies and financial centers) across the Euro-Mediterranean area;
- provide better investment opportunities for private and institutional stakeholders;
- help develop more integrated and efficient capital markets across the Euro-Mediterranean region, with the prospect of facilitating credit and savings flows to investment projects as well as SME financing;
- support national, European and international policies that create an enabling environment for finance, investment and growth.
As topics of discussion, we focus on the following items:
- How to foster sustainable growth and encourage investment opportunities in the area?
- How to improve economic and financial cooperation, guarantee the security of energy supply and fill the huge infrastructure gaps across the Mediterranean area?
- How to develop functioning credit and capital markets for the modernization and the financing of the real economy in the area?
- How to promote closer relations between the financial communities across the Euro-Mediterranean area?
- How can we introduce sustainable “Blue Finance” principles in the Mediterranean?
Agenda
THE ITALIAN MARITIME ECONOMY 2019
Presentation of the 6th Annual Report by SRM – Economic Research Centre related to Intesa Sanpaolo
11.00 – 13.00
Francesco Guido, Regional Manager, Intesa Sanpaolo for Southern Italian Regions
Paolo Scudieri, President, SRM
Report presentation
Massimo Deandreis, General Manager, SRM
Alessandro Panaro, Head of Maritime & Energy Department, SRM
Roundtable Discussion
The New Phenomena of Maritime Traffic and Logistics
Moderated by: Paolo Garonna, Secretary General, FeBAF
Chairs
Francesco Beltrano, Head of the Port and Infrastructure Service, Confitarma.
Silvia Moretto,President, Fedespedi
Ferdinando Nelli Feroci, President, Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI)
Daniele Rossi, President, Assoporti
Closing Morning Session & Opening of the Euro-Mediterranean Investment Forum
The New Centrality of the Mediterranean: Driver of Investment and Socio-economic Integration
13:00 – 13:30
Gian Maria Gros-Pietro, President, Intesa Sanpaolo
EURO-MEDITERRANEAN INVESTMENT FORUM
15.00 – 15.30
The Future of Economic and Financial Cooperation in the Euro-Mediterranean Region
Chair
Paolo Garonna, Secretary General, FeBAF
Key-note speakers
Mohamed Maait, Minister of Finance, Egypt
Augusto dell’Erba, Vice President FeBAF and President Federcasse
15.30 – 17.00
The Role of Banks, Insurers and Financial Markets in Financing SMEs and the Blue Economy
Key-note speaker
Flavia Palanza, Director Northern Africa and Middle East, European Investment Bank (EIB)
Roundtable Discussion
Speakers
Marco Borra, Head of Department of the National Institute of Biology & Steering Board of the OECD “Fostering Innovation in the Ocean Economy” Project
Mourad Ben Chaabane, President of the Tunisian Stock Exchange (BVMT)
Luca Colussa, Portfolio Manager, Generali Investments Partners
Odoardo Como, International Aid/Cooperation Officer – Regional Programmes
Neighbourhood South, DG NEAR, European Commission
Mourad Fradi, President, Italian-Tunisian Chamber of Commerce (CTICI)
Coffee
17.30 – 18.30
Financial Cooperation and Investment – The Case of The New Suez Canal and Egypt
Chair
Raffaele Della Croce, Senior Economist, OECD & Senior Fellow Imperial College and Collegio Carlo Alberto
Key-note speakers
Rami Aboul Naga, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Egypt
Francesco Calza, President of the School of Economics and Law, Parthenope
University of Naples
Roundtable Discussion
Speakers
H.E. Amb. Hisham Mohamed Badr, Ambassador of Egypt to Italy
Amany Essawi, Counselor of H.E. Let. General Mohab Mamish (Head of Suez Canal Authority)
Alaa El Zoheiry, Chairman of the Insurance Federation of Egypt & Managing Director of GIG Egypt
Fiorenzo Senese, Head of International Operations for Central Italy and Sardinia, Monte dei Paschi di Siena (Mps)
9.00 – 9.30 Coffee
9.30 – 11.00
Euro-Mediterranean Integration for Financing Infrastructure, Energy and Sustainability
Chair
Antonella Massari, Secretary General, Italian Association of Private Banks (AIPB)
Key-note speakers
Innocenzo Cipolletta, Vice President FeBAF and President of Assonime
Lapo Pistelli, Executive Vice President of International Affairs, ENI
Roundtable Discussion
Speakers
Andrea Benassi, Head of Public Affairs and Sustainability, ICCREA
Lamberto Dai Prà, Head of Africa, Asia and Oceania, Enel Green Power
Sergio Garribba, Counsellor for Energy Policy, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI)
Roberto Giannetto, Head of Institutional Lending, Sustainable Finance and Concessional Funding, SNAM
Giovanni Lombardi, Founder & Chairman, Tecno Group srl
Marco Margheri, Chairman World Energy Council (WEC) Italy, Executive Vice President Sustainability, Institutions & Regulation, Edison SpA
Davide Tabarelli, President, Nomisma Energia
Simone Tagliapietra, Research Fellow at Bruegel and Senior Fellow at Fondazione ENI Enrico Mattei (FEEM)
Coffee
11.15 – 12.30
Social Infrastructure and Inclusive Growth for Peace, Security and Prosperity
Key-note speakers
Marina Piccioni, International Cooperation and Development, Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP)
Giuseppe Scognamiglio, Chairman of the EastWest European Institute (EWEI)
Roundtable Discussion
Speakers
Ruggero Arico’, Vice President, Confindustria Assafrica & Mediterraneo
Anna Barone, Head of Office, European Investment Bank (EIB) in Morocco
Brando Benifei, Member of the European Parliament and Ambassador of the Startup Europe Mediterranean (SEMED) Initiative
Ahmed El Karm, President, Tunisian Professional Association of Banks (APTBEF)
Enzo Maria Le Fevre, Senior Expert, Agency for Digital Italy, Presidency of the Council of Ministers
12:30 – 13:30
Euro-Mediterranean Development in the New Global Economic and Geo-Political Scenario
Roundtable Discussion
Chairs
Paolo Garonna, Secretary General, FeBAF
Massimo Deandreis, General Manager, SRM
Speakers
Lucio Caracciolo, Director, LIMES
Raffaele Della Croce, Senior Economist, OECD
13.30 End of Forum
Conference Venue
The Euro-Mediterranean Investment Forum 2019 will take place at Palazzo Piacentini, Sala delle Assemblee, Intesa Sanpaolo via Toledo 177, Naples.