"Now is the time to ask ourselves about the value of the Adriatic sea and reflect on its future," Head of Greenpeace Slovenia Nina Štros said and urged for an inclusive and transparent dialogue among the Adriatic countries.

The "few euros" that sea drilling would generate and "excuses of energy security" should not be reason enough to damage the precious natural resources, Štros added.

Allowing oil drilling would seriously affect not only the Adriatic ecosystem but also the local communities, which mostly live off tourism.

The #StopSeadrilling - No oil petition signatories, including environmental NGOs from across the region, call for a protection programme for the Adriatic Sea and concrete goals.

"The petition is a sign that the first step towards joint protection of the Adriatic Sea has already been made by the NGOs," Štros underlined.

The main goal of the initiative is to ban sea drilling and set up a plan that would enable an alternative economic, social and environmental development model for the area.

The NGOs, lead by Italy's Legambient, call for concrete measures against climate change and a strong environmental initiative that will bring together countries of the region in protecting the natural and cultural heritage of the Adriatic.

The initiative was formed after the announcement of several oil exploration projects in the Adriatic, including in Albania, Montenegro, Croatia and Italy. In the latter two countries the first tenders for exploration projects have already been published.