The inaugural meeting for the ECOBASE project: Eco-Friendly Nature-based Solutions to Combat Soil Degradation took place successfully on January 30-31, 2025, at the University of Patras.

Professor Christos Bouras, the Rector of the University of Patras, along with Associate Professor Pantelis Barouchas from the Department of Agriculture and project coordinator, extended a warm welcome and expressed gratitude to the partners, the General Secretariat, and the Managing Authority of the INTERREG IPA-ADRION programme for their invaluable support for this critical initiative addressing soil degradation. The project partners presented their anticipated activities and reviewed the project deliverables and budget for ECOBASE, delineating their roles and responsibilities for the effective execution and communication of actions aimed at producers and policymakers to combat soil degradation in the Adriatic-Ionian region.

During the meeting, the strategies for communication and dissemination of project outcomes were deliberated, alongside the guidelines for submitting the required reports to the Joint Secretariat and the Managing Authority of the INTERREG IPA-ADRION programme. Additionally, forthcoming steps and future meetings were organized, with the next gathering scheduled for mid-June 2025 in Padua, Italy.

A special focus was placed on fostering networking and collaboration among partners, with Mr. Andreas Filias, the Vice-Regional Governor of Western Greece, representing the Region of Western Greece and the Agri-Food Partnership of the Region of Western Greece. These entities participated as partner observers and supporters of the initiative, gifting participants a book commemorating the 200 years since the Greek Revolution along with local delicacies as a gesture of hospitality from the Region of Western Greece.

The ECOBASE project, part of the INTERREG IPA-ADRION cross-border programme, aims to address land degradation through innovative solutions, underscoring the significance of international collaboration and the sharing of best practices for environmental protection.