As part of the GES.S.TER. project a study was undertaken of the valorisation of the Adriatic coastal areas. The Project is financed by the Interreg IIIA Adriatic Cross Border Programme from 2004 to 2007. Moreover, the Project will be a case-study analysed by the GISIG - Geographical Information Systems International Group, in order to verify the territorial data in terms of the INSPIRE Directive.

In particular, this paper will discuss the results of analyses carried out on the coast of the Molise region, as regards the Italian coast, and the County of Split and Dalmatia for the Croatian coast. The methodology behind the creation of a Geographic Information System will be illustrated. This system can be used to define the quality landscape aims within the territories under examination. These are defined by appropriately predisposed matrices for the definition of such aims which will be orientated towards conservation, re-qualification or towards sustainable development according to the dictates of the New Code for Cultural and Landscape Heritage. In Italy this new law imposes the drawing up of appropriate planning tools for safeguarding the landscape. In the cross border countries similar tools are being studied and will be discussed here in order to provide a comparison between what is happening on either side of the Adriatic.