Taranto, a symbolic city reflecting the environmental, industrial, and social complexity of the Mediterranean, will host the official EU Green Week event on June 27, 2025. The event will focus on cooperation among European regions engaged in the ecological transition and supported by the Just Transition Fund (JTF).
At the heart of the initiative is a dialogue between Taranto and Ida-Viru County (Estonia), two European areas united by the challenge of converting fossil fuel–intensive economic models. The meeting will address the specific challenges of renewable energy development, rare material processing, the reduction of climate-altering emissions, and their impacts on public health.
In Taranto, the concept of One Health – promoted by the Calliope House of Emerging Technologies (CTE) and adopted as a strategic key for territorial planning – is being applied in an integrated way, with the aim of connecting public health, environmental protection, and social innovation. The JTRAIL consortium will present actions already underway to strengthen green skills, smart infrastructures, and predictive systems for health in industrial settings.
Special attention will be given to the delegation from Ida-Viru County, which has already implemented the vast majority of its JTF programme, investing over half a billion euros in energy transition infrastructure, the strategic materials industry, and territorial redevelopment. The delegation will include Hardi Murula (Association of Local Authorities of Ida-Viru), Lauri Jalonen (Business Advisory Centre), and Bogdana Androsjuk (University of Tartu), offering an integrated perspective spanning governance, enterprise, and social
sciences.
The morning will open with a keynote by Prof. Hans Orru from the University of Tartu on the theme: “Health and Well-being in All Policies for the Just Transition”, followed by a roundtable between Estonian and Italian representatives, focusing on the operational comparison of territorial models for JTF implementation.
Members of the European Parliament and representatives from the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy of the European
Commission (DG REGIO) will also participate, highlighting the strategic importance of a just transition grounded in scientific evidence, transnational cooperation, and social innovation as a driver of equity and tangible transformation.
AGENDA
June 27, 2025
Conference room – Hotel Delfino, Taranto
The event will be held in English, but simultaneous translation via dedicated headphones will be available for those who need it.
08:30 – 9:30: Registration & Networking Coffee
09:30 – 10:00: Setting the Stage: Just Transition Fund for a greener Europe
- Piero Bitetti, Mayor of Taranto
- Raffaele Fitto, (Joining remotely), Executive Vice-President for Cohesion and Reforms, European Union
- Raffaele Parlangeli, General Director, Office for territorial policies and territorial cooperation
- Dario Iaia, General Director CIS – Contratto Istituzionale di Sviluppo Taranto
- Vito Gregorio Colacicco, Extraordinary Commissioner Local Health Autority of Taranto
- Vito Bruno, General Director Arpa Puglia
- Hardi Murula, Association of Local Authorities Ida Viru County, Estonia (ES)
10:00 – 11:30: Keynotes & Round Table – One Health Green Innovation and Just Transition
Keynotes Speech:
- Hans Orru, Professor of Environmental Health, University of Tartu (Estonia)
“Health and Well-being in All Policies for the Just Transiton”
Round Table – Local Visions for JTF Implementation
Moderator: Valeria Ancona, Researcher CNR, Institute for Construction Technologies
Partecipants – Ida-Viru County (Estonia) – Taranto (Italy):
- Hardi Murula, Association of Local Authorities Ida Viru County
- Lauri Jalonen, Ida-Viru County Business Consultation Centre
- Bogdana Androsjuk, Research Fellow in Sociology of Transition, University of Tartu
- Rodolfo Sardone, Scientific Director CTE CALLIOPE,Local Health Authority of Taranto
- Ruggiera Sarcina, National Director Italian Chamber of Commerce in Canada
A strategic discussion on how health, innovation and governance intersect within the Just Transition Fund, highlighting lessons learned and opportunities for transnational cooperation.
11:40 – 13:00: Open Forum & Shared Cooperation Path – Italy & Estonia
Speaker & Facilitators: Marco Favia – CTE Calliope
The session will open with the joint presentation of the Italy-Estonia Cooperation Framework, outlining:
– Priorities in green industry and innovation
– One Health strategies
– Citizen and stakeholder engagement
This will be followed by and open partecipatory discussion involving:
– Enterprises and business networks
– Civil society and environmental organisations
– Regional and local governments
– Researchers, media and citizens
A space for open Q&A, collective reflection and forward planning. All contributions will be collected for the drafting of a shared public document.
13:00 – 13:30: Closing Remarks and Launch of the White Paper on Public Engagement
The event concludes with the launch of a White Paper on Public Engagement for the Just Transition, summarizing inputs, questions and proposal from the day to guide future cooperation between Estonia and Italy.
