Brussels, 17/05/2011 (Agence Europe) - European Maritime Day is celebrated throughout the European Union every year on 20 May to highlight the importance of seas and oceans in people's everyday lives. This year, the fourth European Maritime Day conference, which is expected to attract around 1,000 people, will be held in Gdañsk, Poland, on 19-20 May. Around 1,000 people are expected to attend the event. Commissioners Maria Damanaki (Maritime Affairs and Fisheries), Siim Kallas (Transport) and Janusz Lewandowski (Budget) will take part in the conference to be held on 19 May alongside several European ministers. On 20 May, a range of events, workshops and exhibitions aimed at maritime sector stakeholders will take place.
The conference, “Putting people first”, will debate opportunities for job creation in the maritime sectors. Ways of making careers in the maritime sector more attractive and of encouraging mobility between posts and sectors will be discussed. The conference will take stock of the various initiatives already in place (maritime planning, increased international cooperation on monitoring, access to marine information, etc). The strategy for the Baltic Sea will also be discussed. (L.C./transl.rt)