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EUROPEAN COMMISSION - PRESS RELEASE
Maritime policy: new strategy for growth and jobs in
the Atlantic Ocean area
Brussels, 25 November 2011 – On Monday 28 November, in Lisbon,
Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Maria Damanaki, will present a
new maritime strategy for growth and jobs in the Atlantic Ocean area, just adopted
by the European Commission. The strategy identifies challenges and opportunities
in the region and takes stock of existing initiatives that can support growth and job
creation. The strategy will be implemented through an Action Plan in 2013. The
Commission calls on stakeholders to help design concrete projects which would be
able to benefit from EU funding. The Commission will facilitate the development of
this Action Plan through a series of workshops and discussion groups that will be
open to a wide array of participants - the 'Atlantic Forum'. The new strategy is
developed under the EU's Integrated Maritime Policy and follows similar strategies
for the Baltic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean areas. Commissioner Damanaki will
present the strategy at the high-level Lisbon Atlantic Conference and Stakeholder
Day, on 28-29 November, where a first discussion will take place.
Commissioner Maria Damanaki, in charge of maritime affairs and fisheries, said:
"Europe urgently needs new far-sighted strands of smart, sustainable and inclusive
growth in a new low-carbon 'blue economy'. Emerging maritime industries have
every chance to become one of the pillars of Europe 2020 strategy for growth and
jobs. The collaborative platform offered through our Integrated Maritime Policy can
help make the Atlantic region internationally renowned for its maritime excellence."
The Commission invites all stakeholders - national, regional and local authorities,
the industry, civil society, and think tanks – to contribute their expertise and ideas to
the Action Plan through the 'Atlantic Forum'. It will comprise a set of workshops
focused on the challenges and opportunities outlined in the strategy, and an online
discussion forum. The Forum will be launched in 2012 and dissolved in 2013, after
it will have contributed to the Action Plan. The strategy does not foresee additional
funding for its implementation: actions will be supported from existing and future EU
funds.
Great potential for 'blue growth'
The Atlantic Ocean has high potential for wind, wave and tidal energy. It is
estimated that by 2020 around 20% of Europe's offshore wind capacity could be
located in the Atlantic region. Sea-bed mining could help meet some of the EU's
demand for raw materials. Offshore aquaculture is a promising sector, and one third
of all the fish caught by the EU's fishing fleet is landed in the Atlantic ports.
But most of these opportunities are still in their infancy and need to be nurtured to
grow into self-sustained industries. That is where the public authorities and other
stakeholders in the region step in; and the EU can help ensure synergies on a
transnational level. Much is already being done, but these actions need to be
streamlined and reinforced through efficient use of existing and future EU funds.
IP/11/1456
For example, maritime spatial planning can boost aquaculture, as it gives investors
greater legal certainty and prevents conflicts for marine space. Marine knowledge
and the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODNET) can provide
marine data that are indispensable for taking informed decisions. Better integration
of maritime surveillance can help respond faster to threats and emergencies, from
natural disasters to piracy, making the Atlantic Ocean safer.
New industries, however, cannot develop without a skilled workforce. Clusters of
academia and maritime industries should be supported and workers need
assistance and re-training to help them move from declining industries, such as
fisheries, to emerging ones. As regards tourism, the Atlantic region has a lot to
offer to holidaymakers. Its culture, cuisine and natural beauty are assets to further
exploit.
Background
Coasts, territorial and jurisdictional waters of five EU member states (France,
Ireland, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom, and their overseas territories, i.e.
the Azores, the Canary Islands, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Madeira, Martinique,
Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin), as well as international waters fall within the
strategy's scope. The strategy does not cover the North Sea or the Arctic Ocean. A
separate strategy exists for the latter.
The development of the Atlantic Strategy dovetails with the Integrated Maritime
Policy for the EU, which aims to coordinate all EU policies with a maritime
dimension to ensure environmental sustainability and the quality of living conditions
in coastal regions while promoting the growth potential of maritime industries.
Strategies have already been adopted for the Baltic Sea, the Arctic Ocean and the
Mediterranean Sea.
More information:
Integrated Maritime Policy pages on the Atlantic Ocean
Lisbon Atlantic Conference
Contacts :
Oliver Drewes (+32 2 299 24 21)
Lone Mikkelsen (+32 2 296 05 67)
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