Bari, June 2026 — Addressing the pressures of a rapidly fragmenting global order, Professor Bernardo Giorgio Mattarella, Director of the EPLO Office in Rome, presented the lecture “Holding Together: The European Union as a Model of Integration in a Fragmented World” at CIHEAM Bari. His intervention analysed the EU’s integration model as a reference point for contemporary governance challenges.
The seminar brought together the EPLO delegation, the CIHEAM Bari community, and students and researchers from the University of Bari and CIHEAM Bari, creating a valuable forum for reflection on the challenges facing contemporary governance systems. Professor Mattarella examined the European Union as a model of integration, resilience, and shared development, highlighting the relevance of the EU experience in a period marked by geopolitical uncertainty and institutional fragmentation.
The lecture formed part of a broader institutional visit aimed at strengthening academic, scientific, and technical cooperation between CIHEAM Bari and the European Public Law Organization (EPLO). Following the seminar, the EPLO delegation visited the CIHEAM Bari campus, including research infrastructures, specialised laboratories, and innovation facilities.
Discussions also focused on the legal framework and co‑management mechanisms of the Integrated Multifunctional Technological Centre (CTIM), foreseen under the TANIT Programme, financed by the Italian Cooperation within the framework of the Mattei Plan.
The visit reaffirmed the commitment of EPLO and CIHEAM Bari to deepening collaboration in areas of shared strategic interest, particularly in governance, institutional development, and capacity‑building.
